MNA nurses ratify new 3-year contracts

After months of negotiations, pickets and the narrow avoidance of an additional 20-day strike, 15,000 Minnesota nurses have officially ratified a new contract.

Twin Cities and Twin Ports nurses with the Minnesota Nurses Association voted in increments Dec. 9-13 whether to ratify tentative three-year contracts the union established with hospital systems across the state this month.

MNA officials say the contracts include an 18% pay increase for Twin Cities nurses and 17% bumps for Twin Ports nurses. The deals also include short-term disability benefits and give nurses a say in how staffing levels are set, according to the union.

Nurses at 15 hospitals in MN from Twin Cities to Duluth say they voted “overwhelmingly” to ratify 3-year contracts. They say contracts give them short-term disability pay for first time and new staffing guidelines. Also 18% raises over 3 years in Twin Cities, 17% in Duluth. pic.twitter.com/oU2B1YLUKV

— Tom Hauser (@thauserkstp) December 14, 2022

RELATED: MNA calls off strike after reaching agreements with hospital systems across the state

“With these contracts, the staffing levels set by our hospital executives will never get worse than they are today, as nurses won a new voice in the process and better protections to appeal for the safe staffing levels we need,” Mary Turner, president of the Minnesota Nurses Association, said. “This is a historic victory for nurses and patients at the bedside, but our work is not done. Nurses will continue fighting to oppose the corporate healthcare policies that threaten our hospital systems and the care our patients deserve.”

Before tentative contracts were reached, MNA nurses had voted to authorize a strike from Dec. 11-31. As previously reported, MNA leaders recommended members vote yes to the most recent contract agreements.

When the strike was averted, hospital systems delivered positive sentiments in their statements to KSTP.

At this time, it is unclear what would’ve happen if a majority of nurses voted “no.”

Check out the hyperlinked articles to find context for the following: November 2022 nurse rally, September 2022 picket, Hospital system pushback, July 2022 Mankato nurse de-unionization, June 2022 picket and May 2022 nurse contract expirations.