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Twin Cities nurses call off strike, reach tentative agreement • Minnesota Reformer [1]
['Izzy Wagener', 'Madison Mcvan', 'Max Nesterak', 'More From Author', '- July', '.Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Coauthors.Is-Layout-Flow', 'Class', 'Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus', 'Display Inline', '.Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Avatar']
Date: 2025-07
Nurses in the Twin Cities said Thursday they called off a strike planned for next week after reaching a tentative deal with hospitals over accusations of unfair labor practices, including hospitals allegedly failing to negotiate in good faith.
But nurses and other health care providers in the Duluth area still plan to go on strike starting Tuesday, according to the Minnesota Nurses Association.
Union leaders have said since bargaining began in March that increasing nurse staffing levels statewide was their No. 1 priority. They said this would ensure better care for patients, decrease burnout, and lessen violence against health care workers.
Striking, the union said, was the tool to force hospitals to negotiate in good faith. The Minnesota Nurses Association said in a press release Thursday that nurses resolved the unfair labor practice as part of the agreement they reached.
“Nurses have always said this fight isn’t just about contracts, it’s about safe care,” association President Chris Rubesch said in the release. “We’ve been fighting an uphill battle. The campaign may be over for now in the Metro, but the fight for safe staffing and patient care is far from over.”
Nurses and employers in the Twin Cities were negotiating into the early hours of the morning Thursday, the union said. The agreement they reached includes a 10% raise over three years, language to put Minnesota’s break law into place and provisions on workplace violence.
The hospital systems that reached a tentative agreement include Allina Health, Children’s Minnesota, M Health Fairview, Health Partners and North Memorial Health, according to the union.
Twin Cities Hospitals Group, which represents Children’s, Fairview, Methodist and North Memorial, in a statement said quality and affordable patient care was its top goal in negotiations.
“Today, our metro hospitals have moved forward with a new tentative agreement with our nurses’ union that recognizes our nurses with a 10% wage increase over three years. Our goal with these negotiations was to provide for high-quality, affordable patient care that meets the needs of our community,” Twin Cities Hospital Group said. “We remain mindful of the dynamic and ever-changing nature of healthcare, which requires us all to bring our best to those we serve.”
The negotiations come as Congress debates the GOP budget bill that would significantly cut Medicaid, a joint federal and state-funded program that pays medical providers for their care.
Over 1.2 million Minnesotans receive health care through Medicaid, known as Medical Assistance in Minnesota, and the congressional cuts would impact people’s health care coverage or their ability to access care. Many of Minnesota’s rural hospitals see a high rate of Medicaid patients, and their costs could increase if they don’t receive government compensation for the care they offer.
Although Twin Cities nurses have reached a tentative agreement, members will still need to vote on their final contract. Nurses and advanced practice providers in Duluth are set to move forward with their unfair labor practices strike on July 8 and July 10, respectively.
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