Essentia Health-Deer River continuing to provide care as SEIU strike begins

Essentia Health continues to provide safe, high-quality care to patients while members of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) went out on strike at Essentia Health-Deer River this morning.

We have been making preparations to maintain access to care since the union filed a 10-day strike notice on Oct. 25. There will be no interruption to emergency services, surgical care, outpatient clinic care or long-term care at Essentia Health-Homestead. We anticipate, however, that we won’t be able to accept new inpatient hospital admissions.

Essentia Health and the SEIU bargaining committee met on Thursday, Oct. 31, with a federal mediator to continue negotiating a new three-year contract for about 70 unit members at Essentia’s hospital and nursing home facilities in Deer River.

With the union continuing to call for unrealistic wage increases, the session did not produce meaningful progress. The SEIU’s work stoppage is scheduled to last through 7 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 9.

When the union filed its strike notice, after just two sessions were held to negotiate a new contract, it was requesting a 55% increase over three years. Its latest proposal only reduces the wage demand by 3.3% in the first year — from 19.4% to 16.1% — and does not move away from the 20% and 15% increases in the second and third years. Instead, the SEIU is proposing to reopen bargaining for these wage increases in years 2 and 3.

That proposal is not realistic, nor is it sustainable given the immense challenges confronting rural health care. While Essentia will continue bargaining in good faith to support competitive pay and benefits for these good local jobs, we must work toward an agreement that preserves access to high-quality care in Deer River and the surrounding communities.

Though another bargaining session has been scheduled with the federal mediator for this Wednesday, the SEIU insisted on taking our employees out on strike. We urge the SEIU to focus on reaching solutions at the bargaining table rather than continuing with this unnecessary work stoppage. At Essentia, we are proud of the relationships we have with more than 50 organized bargaining units. Already this year, we have had 17 labor agreements approved by Essentia union employees.