Nurses at both hospitals are represented by the Minnesota Nurses Association.
The three-year tentative agreement for Albert Lea nurses, approved Wednesday by the union bargaining committee, includes a 2 percent pay increase in the first year of the contract, according to the report. Union spokesperson Rick Fuentes told the Austin Daily Herald pay for Albert Lea nurses will match pay for Austin nurses by the end of the contract term.
The Albert Lea nurses must still ratify the tentative agreement.
According to Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic Health System, the Austin nurses approved a similar three-year labor deal a few months ago.
“We welcome the opportunity to work with our dedicated nurses to develop solutions that strengthen our Albert Lea and Austin campuses and secure high-quality care for our patients, now and in the future,” Mandie Siems, Mayo Clinic Health System public affairs specialist, said, according to the report. “Nurses are valued members of our care teams, and we are pleased that both bargaining units approved agreements with the medical center so we can all work together on behalf of our patients.”
Both contracts come amid Mayo Clinic Health System’s plans to consolidate inpatient services between the Albert Lea and Austin hospitals.
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