The Service Employees International Union have been down at the picket lines in Deer River, Minnesota. 70 Essentia Health workers are continuing their second strike in the past two months. the range to hear about the workers wanting out of their new contracts.

The SEIU says the Essentia Health workers in Deer River are bargaining for higher wages, improved working conditions, and more incentives. Kayla Schwankl, has been striking since Monday. She says the Essentia workers in Deer River are the lowest paid in comparison to other Essentia-owned facilities.

“We’re not getting anybody to come and apply for positions here because the wages aren’t high enough. We have people here who are still making under $17 an hour,” Schwankle said. “We’re not getting anybody to come and apply for positions here because the wages aren’t high enough. We have people here who are still making under $17 an hour.”

The SEIU represent certified nursing assistants, the kitchen staff, maintenance, technicians and more at the Essentia Health Deer River Clinic. They are asking for a minimum of a 20% wage increase for their workers. Kim Kaiser, a spokesperson for Essentia Health, says they are still willing to find an agreeable middle ground for a wage percent increase from 9% to 18%. 

“It’s really important to remember that we have an obligation,” Kaiser said. “A duty to our patients and our community to negotiate a sustainable contract that includes market competitive wages and preserves access to Rural health care for our colleagues and our community in Deer River.”

Essentia Health and the SEIU workers are working on finding a time to renegotiate the contracts. The workers have suggested meeting as soon as next Wednesday, but Essentia and the mediators are waiting to receive an official notice for contract renegotiations.

“This is a conversation about preserving rural health care in our communities,” Kaiser said. “We would like to partner with the SEIU on a sustainable reasonable contract that allows that great care to continue.”

In the meantime, the nearly 70 workers plan to continue their strike. For more information about the SEIU you can read more here. Also for other stories in Deer River you can read more here.