By HARRY LEEDS, RN
After intense negotiations, Minnesota nurses at metro and Twin Ports hospitals, including Abbott Northwestern, have reached a settlement that will improve working conditions for nurses and, in turn, benefit the patients they serve.
The strike was sparked by nurses’ concerns about staffing levels and safety that they said were putting patients at risk. Allina Health, a hospital system at the center of the dispute, initially refused to budge on these issues, leading the nurses to strike for three days in September. They threatened to strike again from December 11th through December 31st.
This comes at a time when the “tripledemic” of RSV, influenza, and COVID are filling hospitals to the brim. It seems the threat of losing the skilled, dedicated nurses that staff Minnesota hospitals forced leadership to face the staffing issues that have been harming patients.
The agreement includes a commitment from most hospitals to work with nurses to improve staffing levels, especially as poor staffing practices could cause harm to patients.
Nurses are on the front lines of healthcare, and when they are overworked and understaffed, it directly impacts the quality of care that patients receive. This union has forced corporate hospitals to grapple with the impacts their business-approach to healthcare is having on an evolving disease landscape.
Additionally, the settlement serves as a reminder of the power of organized labor. The nurses’ union was instrumental in negotiating the deal, and their solidarity and determination were key to its success. In an era when unions are under attack and worker rights are being eroded, the Minnesota nurses strike settlement is a much-needed victory for labor. Further guarantees of patient and employee safety could be laid out in legislation at the state capital. The Minnesota Keeping Nurses at the Bedside Act is a vital piece of legislation that needs to become law. It would recruit and train nursing students to Minnesota, retain experienced nurses, and review hospital safety data. In May 2022, the act passed the State House, but stalled in the State Senate. With the new senate session next year, there may be enough support to finally make these essential provisions to healthcare the law of the land.
The nurses are heroes. They were in the trenches, on the front line when the contagion hit and have stayed there ever since. – dh