Essentia Health reaches agreement with SEIU workers in Deer River
January 27, 2025 By: Anthony Matt

Members of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) voted overwhelmingly to ratify a new three-year contract with Essentia Health-Deer River over the weekend. After reaching a tentative agreement late last week, 92% of union membership voted in favor of the agreement.
At a time when rural health care is confronting numerous challenges, the deal preserves access to high-quality care close to home for our patients in and around Deer River.
The agreement retains a key staffing provision known as cross-facility floating, which provides Essentia with the flexibility to schedule team members where and when patients need them most. As it was previously, this staffing practice is entirely voluntary, meaning our colleagues decide if they want to pick up a shift, or shifts, at a different Essentia facility with greater patient demand. Cross-facility floating is an important tool we can use to maintain care with highly skilled and well-trained team members.
The agreement is consistent with more than 20 contracts Essentia negotiated with union groups in 2024.
Essentia Health statement:
“We are pleased to reach an agreement that keeps health care sustainable for our patients across the region while continuing to provide excellent pay and benefits for our colleagues in Deer River.
“These negotiations highlighted the shared challenges we are confronting in rural health care, and opportunities to address them together. At Essentia, we have a responsibility to negotiate contracts that are fair and equitable while also ensuring access to expert care in the communities we serve. We are grateful for the many contributions of these team members, who help us fulfill our mission of making a healthy difference in people’s lives every day.”