Advanced Practice Providers at Essentia Health have filed an election with the National Labor Relations Board for an election to unionize. A date has not been determined yet.

Nurse practitioners, physician associates, nurse midwives, and clinical nurse specialists have been organizing for months. The group sees the need to unionize so they can address issues in their workplace, including better compensation, work/life balance, and patient loads. They feel they will be able to have more say in their practice and working conditions as members of the Minnesota Nurses Association.  

They held a press conference on Tuesday evening at the Duluth Labor Temple.

Kelly Higgins, a physician assistant, shared, “My colleagues came into this role because we were called to it. Because we’ve poured our hearts and lives into this profession. As health care management becomes increasingly corporatized, we are losing hope for the future. A union will not only help us do the work we love, but do it well and protect the future of health care.”

A statement from Essentia Health reads in part:

“Essentia Health is aware that the Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA) has filed a petition for an election with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and is seeking to become the collective bargaining representative for some advanced practice providers in Essentia’s East Market. We feel maintaining a direct relationship is the right choice for these Essentia providers. We are currently reviewing the petition and will act in good faith throughout the process.”