Maple Grove Hospital Nurses Vote to Authorize Strike

Nurses at North Memorial Health’s Maple Grove Hospital overwhelmingly voted to authorize an unfair labor practice strike, the Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA) announced Tuesday. The decision comes after more than a year of failed contract negotiations and rising concerns over a 33% nursing turnover rate.

During a morning news conference, members of the MNA negotiating team told reporters that progress has been “limited” over 30 bargaining sessions. According to the nurses union, North Memorial leadership has failed to respond to key proposals for months, leading to growing frustration.

The strike authorization is specifically tied to “unfair labor practices.” Examples of those concerns, according to the nurses, include stalled negotiations and limited movement on core contract issues, inconsistent treatment of nurses involved in protected union activities, and workplace restrictions affecting union advocacy.

The MNA says an overwhelming majority of the nurses at Maple Grove Hospital voted to authorize an unfair labor practice strike.

The “One North” Disparity

According to the MNA, a central theme of the labor dispute is the lack of parity between North Memorial’s hospitals in Maple Grove and Robbinsdale. Nurses have adopted the slogan “One North” to demand equal treatment across the health system.

“Right now, nurses are experiencing disparities in staffing improvements, workplace protections, and benefits compared to nurses working at North Memorial Robbinsdale Hospital,” said Margaret Sampson, a labor and delivery nurse who’s worked at Maple Grove Hospital for 10 years. “We keep hearing ‘One North,’ but not seeing ‘One North.’ ‘One North’ should mean equal respect, equal value, and equal pay.”

Sanford Health Acquisition Adds Uncertainty

The vote follows the May 8 announcement of a definitive agreement for North Memorial Health to merge with South Dakota-based Sanford Health. While the merger includes a $600 million investment to double the size of the Maple Grove facility, nurses stress the importance of negotiating a fair contract.

“If we’re going to expand, and we’re going to have these added positions that are things like cath lab and NICU and ER and OR and these highly skilled positions, we need to attract nurses in the metro area that are going to want to come and work within this system,” said Alexie Rehwaldt, a Maple Grove nurse, on the day of the vote. “And that’s going to take a comparable package to other metro hospitals.”

What’s Next?

The strike authorization does not mean a work stoppage is imminent.

Rather, it gives the negotiating team the power to call a strike if they deem it necessary. Should they move forward, the MNA must provide the hospital with a 10-day notice.

“No nurse wants to strike,” said Lisa Grobner, an RN on the negotiating team. “We want to be at work caring for our patients. But we cannot do that when we face stalled negotiations and unfair labor practices.”

Lisa Grobner, an RN on the MNA negotiating team, addressed reporters during a news conference on May 12.

North Memorial Response

North Memorial Health offered this statement when contacted about the MNA’s strike authorization decision:

North Memorial Health is aware that nurses represented by the Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA) at Maple Grove Hospital voted to authorize a strike.

A strike authorization vote does not mean a strike has been called. The union would be required to provide a 10-day notice before they could take the nurses at the hospital on strike.

We remain committed to negotiating in good faith to reach a fair agreement that supports the organization’s long-term financial stability while continuing to provide safe, high-quality care for our patients and community. Contingency plans to continue to provide patient care during a work stoppage are in place should the nurses go on strike.

Maple Grove