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Essentia Workers in Deer River Are On Strike!

The strike at the Essentia Health Clinic in Deer River has begun!  Despite snow and cold temperatures the pickets went up first thing this morning.  

The workers are represented by the Service Employees International Union.  They have been engaged in a tough contract fight with Essentia for several weeks, and had gone out on a five day strike back in early November.  This unfair labor practices (ULP) strike however is an open ended one.

The company and the union met with a mediator last week.  After making the union negotiating committee for six hours to get a "last, best and final" offer that was the exact same as their previous low ball offer, the company lectured the union about how costly this all was going to be, and essentially thumbed their nose at the workers.  

Essentia is notorious for underpaying and overworking their workforce.  Year after year they keep asking their workers to make do with less, and help the company keep costs down - including by accepting wage increases that are well below the rate of inflation.  Yet somehow the company always has money for the over $3 million annual salary that CEO David Herman gets, plus million dollar bonuses AND annual raises that average at least three times the percentage increase that the workers ever get. 

Kudos to the Deer River workers for standing up and fighting back against their greedy employer!

The strike pickets will be up from 8am to 2pm every weekday at the corner of Division Street & 10th Avenue in Deer River, Minnesota.  Folks are urged to stop by and show their support!  And you can stay in the loop about strike developments at the union's strike page here: https://www.seiuhealthcaremn.org/campaigns/essentia-deer-river-bargaining-updates/

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