Members of the Minnesota Nurses Association at St. Luke's Lake View Hospital in Two Harbors have withdrawn their strike notice amid ongoing negotiations.
Lake View nurses' contract expired Sept. 30, according to a union news release. Nurses at Lake View were slated to join a strike by 15,000 nurses in the Twin Cities and Twin Ports. The strike in the Twin Cities and Twin Ports was averted after union members reached tentative three-year contracts with hospital executives. Lake View nurses have now also averted a strike as negotiations continue.
"As a sign of good faith, the nurses of Lake View Hospital have chosen to withdraw our 10-day unfair labor practice strike notice for the time being, in the hopes that management will start collaborating with nurses and take these negotiations seriously by treating our priorities and our nurses with the respect we deserve moving forward," a Dec. 8 statement from the MNA Lake View nurse negotiation team reads. "Lake View nurses are committed to working towards a fair contract that uplifts our community and protects the future of healthcare in Two Harbors and the rest of Northeastern Minnesota."
Lake View shared the following statement with Becker's: "Lake View is looking forward to returning to the bargaining table on Friday, Dec. 9 for our third negotiation session. Lake View will continue our strong tradition of working collaboratively with the MNA to reach an agreement that is fair to all of our stakeholders, including our patients, community and our entire Lake View team."