DULUTH, MN (KDAL) – Nurses at St. Luke’s Hospital in Duluth have filed a ten day notice that they intend to hold a one day strike on October 3rd if a new contract is not reached by then.
Nurses, represented by the Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA), will meet with hospital negotiators again this Friday to try and reach an agreement.
Negotiations began in May and the previous contract expired on June 30th.
The MNA has filed an Unfair Labor Practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board for unfair bargaining. They say the hospital has been removing union literature from the workplace, preventing members from attending union meetings and intimidating nurses who were discussing their contract.
Following the strike notice, St. Luke’s has set in motion contingency plans to bring in replacement nurses to care for patients.
In a statement, St. Luke’s President Kevin Nokels says the strike notice does not change their commitment to reach an agreement that is fair and safe for all involved. He says their latest offer has wage increases that match local and metro area hospitals and extra shift bonuses.
