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Essentia Health clinic nurses in the Twin Ports have voted to ratify new labor contracts that will run through March 2027.
The agreements, reached last week with the Minnesota Nurses Association, cover ambulatory care nurses at Essentia Health’s Duluth Clinic 1st, 2nd and 3rd Street locations and at St. Mary’s-Superior Clinic.
In total, four contracts were ratified. Negotiations for nurses at the 1st and 2nd Street clinics began in July 2024, while talks for the 3rd Street and Superior clinics started in February 2025.
“We are proud of the quick progress we made on these first contracts,” said Rhonda Kazik, chief nurse executive at Essentia Health. “These agreements reflect the outstanding contributions of our clinic nurses while allowing Essentia the flexibility to staff according to patient needs. Patient care drives every decision we make, and these negotiations were no different.”
The contracts establish wages, benefits, time off and retirement provisions consistent with those offered to non-contract employees at Essentia, the health system said.
Negotiations continue at Solvay Hospice House and Essentia Health Surgery Center-Miller Hill in Duluth. Two bargaining sessions were held this week, with additional meetings scheduled for Sept. 8 at Solvay and Sept. 10 at the Surgery Center.
