Mediation is needed in nurses' union negotiations

Opinion editor's notes: This article was submitted on behalf of several nursing leaders at Minnesota hospitals. Their names are listed below.

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For the past five months, the Twin Cities Hospitals Group and other Minnesota hospitals have engaged in good-faith negotiations with the Minnesota Nurses Association to reach an agreement on new contracts. While progress on important issues like workplace safety and diversity, equity and inclusion have been made, wide gaps remain. Despite multiple open proposals awaiting responses from the nurses' union, the union seems more comfortable with surpassing mediation and moving to strike rather than completing good-faith negotiations.

There is a better way.

As nursing leaders representing Fairview, North Memorial, Children's Minnesota, Methodist, and St. Luke's hospitals with a collective 100-plus years of nursing experience, we're confident we can find a path forward. Minnesota nurses are already ranked among the best paid in the nation, and our current proposals would reinforce that with the largest wage increase in 15 years — a double-digit wage increase over three years. We are not changing our nurses' generous pension or health benefits. Our proposals will help address shared concerns about nurse staffing and safety. We believe we are being good stewards of our resources and making wise choices on behalf of our hospitals and the communities we serve.

We need a partner willing to engage in a reasonable discussion. We believe our nurses are a willing partner. Unfortunately, union leaders have proved not to be. For example, the union is seeking a wage increase of more than 30% over three years. No responsible hospital system can meet the union's wage demands, especially as nonprofit health systems in Minnesota (and across the country) face hundreds of millions of dollars in operating losses. This would represent hundreds of millions of dollars our hospitals simply don't have and can't afford. The union is driving nurses to a strike, when we believe what our nurses really want is a fair solution.

We've repeatedly asked the union to join us in mediation. Mediation brings in a trained, impartial expert to provide tools for discussion and help everyone find common ground to avoid disrupting our community's hospitals and impacting patient care. It was successfully used in previous negotiations and is needed now. Unfortunately, the union has steadfastly refused.

There is nobody better in a crisis than our care teams, and it showed during the pandemic. And if the pandemic taught us anything, it showed that by working together, our health care teams do amazing things for our patients. This spirit of collaboration and problem-solving has made nursing one of the most trusted professions, and this spirit must guide both parties as we negotiate the nursing contract.

We remain committed to reaching a fair contract so we can continue to focus on what matters: our patients. We ask the union to join us.