Essentia Deer River strike continues as union rejects offer

The on-going strike at Essentia’s Deer River facility will continue after union workers voted to reject the latest offer from the company.

According to a release from SEIU Healthcare, the union that represents the striking workers, members voted overwhelmingly to reject Essentia’s offer on January 7.

“The employer asked repeatedly for an ‘official’ vote, which was unnecessary, but we voted today and over 90% still rejected their offer. It’s time they quit trying to bully us and come back to the table with a fair proposal.” Said Kristi Griffen, a Deer River employee and member of SEIU’s bargaining team.

In a release, SEIU says the rejected offer would have meant a raise of eight cents for many workers, which the union says is well below comparable positions in Minnesota.

Essentia Health provided WDIO with the following statement:

We remain committed to achieving a contract with the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) that recognizes the important contributions of these valued colleagues while also ensuring continued access to high-quality health care for our patients in Deer River and the surrounding communities.

Our offers have been market competitive and consistent with more than 20 agreements ratified last year with other union groups at Essentia Health, including a comprehensive benefits package of health insurance, dental insurance, retirement and time off.

We continue to be willing to meet with the union and the mediator and are discussing next steps in the negotiation process. We have a responsibility to our colleagues, patients and community to ensure high-quality, sustainable care in our region.

The first time the union formally reached out to us with potential bargaining dates was just last week. We did respond by saying we were willing to meet and hear new proposals.

In our last proposal, the average wage increase in the first year is equivalent to 3.5%. The union’s claim that our latest offer would mean a “raise of only eight cents for many workers,” is not true.

The strike has been on-going since December 9, while the two sides have been bargaining since last August.