Nurses and advanced practice providers at Essentia Health and Aspirus St. Luke’s have voted to authorize unfair labor practice strikes, citing a refusal by the health systems to bargain in good faith.
The vote, held Monday, followed months of negotiations in which union representatives say hospital executives failed to engage meaningfully on proposals related to patient safety and staffing levels. In some cases, union leaders say, employers refused to negotiate altogether.
“Negotiation dynamics are already tilted heavily in favor of Essentia and Aspirus, but unfair labor practices like these can break the scales entirely,” said Chris Rubesch, a registered nurse and president of the Minnesota Nurses Association. “We can’t let this continue.”
Union leaders accuse both health systems of committing unfair labor practices, including withholding bargaining information, distorting facts, and retaliating against union supporters — allegations both Essentia and Aspirus have denied in past disputes.
Three separate groups of workers voted to authorize strike action: acute care nurses at both hospitals, clinic and hospice nurses at Essentia, and advanced practice providers at Essentia’s East Market. All three groups are represented by the Minnesota Nurses Association.
The union says unsafe staffing levels remain the top issue for acute care nurses, who have negotiated contracts every three years since the 1940s.
“In over two decades of nursing, I’ve never witnessed a crisis like this,” said Larissa Hubbartt, an RN at Aspirus St. Luke’s. “Patients are arriving sicker than ever, but instead of increasing support, hospital leaders have gutted the frontlines. It’s dangerous.”
Acute care nurses are also pushing back against what the union describes as aggressive benefit rollbacks proposed by both hospital systems.
Clinic and hospice nurses, currently negotiating their first contracts, joined the union in recent months from several locations, including Essentia’s First, Second and Third Street clinics, the Miller Hill Ambulatory Surgical Center, and Solvay Hospice House. Their concerns include consistent patient care, wage transparency, and work-life balance.
Advanced practice providers — including nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurse midwives and clinical nurse specialists — voted to unionize in August 2024. Despite National Labor Relations Board certification, union officials say Essentia has refused to begin negotiations, a potential violation of federal labor law.
Union leaders say they remain committed to bargaining in good faith and have not yet called for a strike. Should a strike be declared, a 10-day notice would be provided to employers and the public, as required by law.
The Duluth strike authorization comes as nurses at 11 metro-area hospitals also voted to approve potential unfair labor practice strikes. Negotiations at all affected facilities are ongoing.
