Duluth nurses set one-day strike for Sept. 14
The Minnesota Nurses Association has given a Duluth hospital system 10-day notice of a strike.
More than 900 nurses are set to walk off the job at the former SMDC Health System, now known as Essentia Health. A 24-hour strike is set for Tuesday, September 14th.
But first, a federal mediator has called both parties back to contract negotiations next Tuesday.
MNA spokesman John Nemo said he's hoping for a resolution before the nurses strike.
"We've been at this since May 6th," he said. "There's no reason that we can see as nurses, frankly, that the general public can see, that these hospitals can't have this type of language in there to keep patients safe."
Nurses are seeking contract language giving them some ability to limit new admissions to understaffed units. Essentia Health could not be immediately reached for comment, but has said it would be prepared for a strike.
The MNA just settled on a new contract including a staffing provision with Duluth's St. Luke's hospital. More than 400 nurses from St. Luke's will vote on the contract next Wednesday .
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