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Bargaining & Collective Action Update NEW CONTRACT AGREEMENTS Marshalltown, IA nurses overwhelmingly ratify new contract
Council Bluffs nurses ratify wage opener In late April, nurses in Council Bluffs, IA came to an agreement on a wage opener. They successfully ratified the agreement for a wage opener of 10% across the board. Grand Marais nurses reach Tentative Agreement
In late March, nurses in Marshalltown, IA reached a tentative agreement during contract negotiations and in early April, overwhelmingly voted to ratify the new contract. The negotiations were not without challenges. The nurses and their community have survived a tornado and derecho in recent years as well as bankruptcy and corporate takeover of their hospital. Additionally, nurses faced a decertification election that emerged two days after bargaining began. Nurses took each challenge in stride and kept showing up. Their dedication paid off with nurses achieving wages of 6% retroactive to January and 2% in the second year. They also won a two-year agreement, did away with a two-tier wage scale, made bonuses retroactive, improved pay to the Weekend Package and more. They successfully fought off several concessions including reduced PTO accrual, doing education on their own time, floating without conditions, and more.
facilities across the state also attended to show their solidarity.
Nurses in Grand Marais reached a tentative agreement at the end of May. They fought off several concessions including moving all 12-hour staff to every other weekend, reducing holiday pay, and no PTO payout upon resignation without notice. Wins at the negotiating table included wage increases of 5% retroactive to January 2022 for the first year of the contract and increases of 4.5% and 4% for subsequent years; increase to on-call pay; expanded information in the confirmed work agreement; increase to ambulance bonus; and more. COLLECTIVE ACTION
After buying Mercy Moose Lake in 2020, Essentia refused to recognize the nurses’ union contract. Essentia staff have lost hundreds of hours of sick time, and the community has lost services including PICC line placement, orthopedics, radiology, and more. Moose Lake nurses continue to ask for Essentia to respect them and bargain in good faith. Negotiations are still ongoing, but after a successful event, nurses are more involved than ever and continue to stand strong and bargain together. MNA nurses in solidarity with striking members of Minneapolis Federation of Teachers
Moose Lake nurses are fighting for a fair contract
MNA nurses from Moose Lake gathered at the Moose Lake Ice Fishing Competition in February to show they are ready to fight for a fair contract from Essentia. MNA nurses from
MNA nurses showed up in support of Minneapolis teachers and Education Support Professionals who went on strike for safe and stable schools. The strike lasted nearly three weeks, with teachers and ESPs winning increased pay, class size caps, improved student mental health resources and more.
