Healthcare workers at Deer River Essentia Health are going on strike

A representative of the Service Employees International Union Healthcare Minnesota & Iowa (SEIU) has announced that more than 70 hospital workers at Deer River Essentia Health will begin a five-day Unfair Labor Practice strike beginning Monday, October 4 at 7 a.m.

According to Josh Keller, a union representative, the pickets will take place each day of the five-day strike from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The strike was called after an agreement could not be reached to negotiate a new three-year contract covering issues such as pay and PTO after the previous contract expired on September 30.

Sarah Roberts, a healthcare professional for more than 20 years and a member of the bargaining team, shared the following statement on the strike:

“I enjoy taking care of my patients, but due to low wages we are understaffed and overworked. This means people get burned out, which hurts our patients. Because it’s a small facility, we have to do so many different tasks to get the job done, but we can’t keep doing more with less. We store because our community needs better. It’s hard to get people in to do this work. Our proposal for pay increases and other positive changes to respect our work is what is needed to solve this problem, and it is frustrating that we keep hearing ‘no’ from the employer. We are ready to strike because we need a strong contract for workers so we can care for our patients and the community.”

Essentia Health released the following statement upon receiving the initial notice of intent to discontinue:

“SEIU’s wage requirement of a 55% increase over three years is not financially sustainable in the current healthcare environment. Financial constraints are especially pronounced in rural communities, where a higher percentage of patients have government insurance such as Medicare and Medicaid. On average, these programs currently reimburse much less than the cost of healthcare (approximately 70%), leaving providers like Essentia struggling to make up the difference. This is why hospitals and health care systems continue to advocate for increased Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements at levels that ensure the state’s most vulnerable communities maintain access to comprehensive health care.”

WDIO has contacted Essentia Health now that a strike has been formally declared.

A mediation session is currently scheduled for November 13.

SEIU represents employees in a variety of jobs including Nutrition Services Assistant, Activity Aide, Laundry Aide, Environmental Service Tech, Sterile Processing Tech, Cook, Nursing Assistant – LTC, Nursing Assistant (Hosp.Acute Care, HUC Duties), Health Unit Coordinator (HUC ), Phlebotomist, Pharmacy Tech, LPN, Med Lab Tech, Maintenance I, Surgical Tech, Floor Care Tech, Medical Tech, Radiology Tech and more.