Minnesota Nurses Association members at hospitals across the Twin Cities area and in Duluth have voted to ratify new contracts following four months of negotiations, according to a July 14 union news release shared with Becker’s.
The three-year contracts cover thousands of union members across Allina Health, M Health Fairview, Essentia Health, Aspirus St. Luke’s, HealthPartners Methodist and Children’s Minnesota.
According to the MNA, the agreements include:
- New language to implement the state’s new break law
- Tools to address workplace violence
- Staffing provisions such as Essentia’s one-year freeze on staffing reductions
- A 10% raise over the life of the deal for the Twin Cities hospitals
- A 9.75% raise over the life of the deal for Twin Ports hospitals
“The agreements reflect priorities identified by nurses throughout the 2025 campaign, including staffing provisions, workplace safety measures, mental health protections, and fair compensation, as well as fending off significant employer concessions,” the union said in its release. “This was the first year in MNA history that members voted safe staffing as the top concern, over wages.”
The Twin Cities Hospitals Group and St. Luke’s in Duluth/Twin Ports shared the following statement with Becker’s:
“Today, our hospitals have moved forward with a new contract with our nurses’ union that recognizes our nurses with a 10% wage increase over three years, keeping Minnesota nurses among the highest paid in the country. We also introduced contract changes that enable greater innovation and flexibility in patient care and hospital operations. Our goal remains to provide high-quality, affordable patient care, and we remain mindful of the dynamic and ever-changing nature of healthcare, which requires all of us to bring our best to those we serve.”
Minneapolis-based Allina shared the following statement with Becker’s:
“Allina Health is pleased that members of the Minnesota Nurses Association ratified their contacts with our metro hospitals. We are thankful to have successfully reached an agreement with MNA, so we can solely focus on serving the health care needs of our community.”
Overall, approximately 15,000 MNA-represented nurses and advanced practice providers in the Twin Cities and Twin Ports voted June 23 to authorize their negotiating teams to call a strike, according to the union. Hospital nurses in the Twin Cities and Twin Ports reached agreements, averting a strike. As of July 15, advanced practice providers and clinic nurses at Duluth, Minn.-based Essentia Health remain on strike.
