MNA nurses reach tentative agreement with Children's Hospitals

(FOX 9) - Nurses reached a tentative agreement on a new three-year contract with Children's Hospitals of Minnesota, withdrawing their plans to strike.

The Minnesota Nurses Association announced Saturday that, after negotiation teams met for an over 21-hour session, the two "cooperated to jointly address issues, including the cost of health insurance" for nurses.

According to the MNA, after authorizing a strike, the hospital agreed to "cap the rate of increase of the most comprehensive insurance plan to match the increase the employer must pay." Children's also agreed to pay 70 percent of the dollar increase in rates while nurses would pay 30 percent. 

Additionally, the hospital agreed to provide Children's nurses with the largest wage increases they have seen in a decade - raises of about 3% / 3% / 2.25% for 2019, 2020, 2021. 

The MNA will vote to ratify the agreement on Thursday, June 20.

Statement from Katie Penson, Senior Director of Clinical Services — Critical Care, Children’s Minnesota:

"We are pleased that we have reached a tentative agreement on a new three year contract with MNA nurses. Children's has come to the bargaining table each time in good faith, and both sides have accomplished a lot over the last several bargaining sessions. We have improved workplace safety, boosted wages, and agreed to improvements on other issues recognizing the important work nurses do for Children's every day. Our goal from the start was to come to an agreement that works for everyone. We successfully accomplished this, while at the same time ensuring that care for our patients and families remains best-in-class."