Medical workers at Deer River Essentia Health went on strike

The Minnesota Iowa Health Employees International Union (SEIU) has announced that more than 70 workers at Deer River Essentia Health will begin a five-day unfair labor strike beginning Monday, October 4th at 7:00 a.m.

According to Josh Keller, a union representative, picketing will continue from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. each day during the five-day strike.

The strike was called after a new three-year contract could not be reached on items such as pay and PTO after the previous contract expired on September 30.

Sarah Roberts, with more than 20 years in the health care industry and a member of the bargaining team, shared the following statement regarding the strike:

“I enjoy taking care of my patients, but due to the low pay, we are understaffed and overworked. That means people burn out, which hurts our patients. Because it’s a small facility, we have to do so many different jobs to get the job done, but we can’t do more with less. We are striking because our community needs better. It is difficult to attract people to this work. Our proposal for higher wages 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 strong contracts for workers so we can take care of our patients and our community.”

Esentia Health issued the following statement when it first received notice of the intention to strike:

“SEIU’s demand for a 55% wage increase over three years is financially untenable in today’s health care environment. Financial constraints are particularly pronounced in rural communities, which have a higher percentage of patients with public insurance such as Medicare and Medicaid. On average, these programs currently reimburse far less than the cost of care, about 70%, making it difficult for providers like Essentia to make up the difference. That’s why hospitals and health systems continue to advocate for increases in Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement rates to levels that ensure the state’s most vulnerable communities have access to comprehensive health care.”

WDIO reached out to Essentia Health after the strike was officially announced.

The mediation session is currently scheduled for November 13.

SEIU represents workers in several positions including Nutrition Aide, Operations Aide, Laundry Aide, Environmental Technician, Sterile Processing Technician, Cook, Nursing Assistant – LTC, Nursing Assistant (Hosp.Acute Care, Obligation HUC), Health Care Coordinator (HUC), Phlebotomist, Pharmacy Tech, LPN, Med Lab Tech, Maintenance I, Surgical Tech, Floor Care Tech, Medical Tech, Radiology Tech, etc.