Issue link: https://nnumagazine.uberflip.com/i/1483484
J U LY | A U G U S T | S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 2 W W W . N A T I O N A L N U R S E S U N I T E D . O R G N A T I O N A L N U R S E 11 under-staffing and overwork and to keep more nurses at the bedside. But in six months of negotiations, hospital executives with million-dollar salaries have refused to negotiate with nurses over solutions to the crises of short-staffing, retention, and patient care. Contracts for nurses in the Twin Cities expired on May 31, and contracts for nurses in the Twin Ports expired on June 30, 2022. "Corporate health care policies are devastating our communities, care at the bedside, and health care workers," said Chris Rubesch, RN at Essentia Duluth and first vice president of the Minnesota Nurses Association. "Hospital executives are closing facilities and charging patients more while taking home multimillion-dol- lar salaries. This week, thousands of Duluth and Superior nurses joined nurses across the state to demand that hospital executives put the focus where it belongs in our hospitals: on patient care at the bed- side, not the bottom line." On the final day of the strike, Duluth nurses held rallies at both Essentia and St. Luke's hospitals. Elected officials joined negotiating team members to speak to the crowds, urging hospital executives to return to the bargaining table and settle a fair con- tract that prioritizes safe patient care. After the strike concluded, nurses resumed negotiations to bargain fair con- tracts to protect patient care and the nursing profession at the bedside. In the weeks fol- lowing the strike, nurses have continued to put pressure on hospital executives, encour- aging them to come to the negotiations table and to settle a fair contract. Hospitals where nurses went on strike are listed in the accompanying chart, along with the corresponding CEO's compensa- tion and pay ratio to the average RN. —Staff report Hospital System + CEO CEO Compensation Pay Ratio to Avg. RN Riverside M Health Fairview, CEO James Hereford $3.5M 40 to 1 Southdale St. Joseph's St. John's St. Mary's Duluth Essentia Health, CEO David Herman $2.69M 38 to 1 St. Mary's Superior Methodist HealthPartners, CEO Andrea Walsh $2.4M 28 to 1 Abbott Northwestern Allina Health,CEO Lisa Shannon $1.76M 21 to 1 Mercy United Unity Children's Minneapolis Children's Hospitals, CEO Mark Gorelick $1.4M 17 to 1 Children's St. Paul North Memorial North Memorial, CEO J. Kevin Croston 1.3M 16 to 1 St. Luke's St. Luke's, Co-CEOs Eric Lohn and Nicholas Van Deelen $700K+ 10 to 1