Duluth Nurses Prepare for Strike Vote

After months of negotiations and a refusal by SMDC Medical Center business executives to put their rhetoric about patient safety issues into writing, more than 900 SMDC nurses are being encouraged to vote August 18th to reject the administration's contract offer and instead authorize a one-day strike.

"The bottom line is, the executives at the bargaining table have made it clear to us that management does not trust its nurses with the well-being and safety of our patients," said Steve Strand, an RN at SMDC. "It's ironic considering nurses are the most trusted professionals in the United States. And we are not asking for anything costly, outrageous or unusual."

In addition to the 900 nurses at SMDC, 420 RNs at St. Luke's Hospital in Duluth are also in the midst of contract bargaining and so far have been unable to reach an agreement. While SMDC nurses have no more negotiating sessions scheduled, St. Luke's RNs will meet one final time with management August 16th to try and work out an agreement. Both groups of nurses will vote on August 18th to either ratify their contract offers or else authorize a one-day strike at each facility.See link for details.