Two Harbors nurses cancel strike plans; MNA ratification vote begins Friday
Dec. 9—TWO HARBORS — Nurses at St. Luke's Lake View Hospital no longer plan to strike, the Minnesota Nurses Association announced Thursday afternoon.
The unfair labor practice strike, which was set to begin Sunday and last indefinitely, was called off "as a sign of good faith" as the MNA and St. Luke's continue contract negotiations. The contracts of 18 MNA nurses at Lake View expired Sept. 30.
The MNA Lake View Nurse Negotiation Team said in a new release they hope management will collaborate with nurses and take negotiations seriously by treating the nurses and their priorities with respect.
"Lake View nurses are committed to working toward a fair contract that uplifts our community and protects the future of healthcare in Two Harbors and the rest of Northeastern Minnesota," the nurses said in their statement.
Lake View Hospital said in a statement they look forward to returning to the bargaining table on Friday. This will be the third session of negotiations between MNA and the health care system.
"Lake View will continue our strong tradition of working collaboratively with the MNA to reach an agreement that is fair to all of our stakeholders, including our patients, community and our entire Lake View team," St. Luke's Lake View said.
MNA nurses at 15 other hospitals, including St. Luke's in Duluth and Essentia Health in Duluth and Superior, reached tentative agreements earlier this week and called off their strikes. The 15,000 nurses will vote on ratifying the proposed contracts Friday, Monday and Tuesday. Results will be announced Wednesday.
This story was updated at 6 p.m. Dec. 8 to include comments from St. Luke's Lake View. It was originally published at 4:09 p.m. the same day.
