SAINT PAUL – The bargaining team from SEIU Healthcare MN & IA representing nearly 200 nursing home workers at Saint Therese in New Hope reached a tentative agreement with leaders at St. Therese after a day of bargaining on Wednesday. The deal comes just days ahead of their five-day Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) strike that would have begun on Saturday.

Kpana Farwenel, a CNA at St. Therese and member of the SEIU HCMNIA bargaining team, shared why workers stood up to win this TA:

"We are proud that because we stuck together and were willing to strike, we won this tentative agreement. Our work is so important and we were fighting to make sure we are respected and our pay was protected, and we are glad that this deal does that. We are going to keep fighting for nursing home workers and residents but today we are celebrating this win!"

The full details are being shared with members ahead of their vote on the TA, but highlights include St. Therese responding to the workers main demand and codifying the $5 raises workers had received, locking in the wage increase that workers pushed for during COVID ahead of the impending change in ownership.

The group represents nearly 200 workers who do critical jobs such as CNA, TMA, housekeeping and more. There are currently no bargaining sessions scheduled before the strike, but the union bargaining team is ready to bargain if the employer is ready to actually address the critical issues they are facing.

--

SEIU Healthcare Minnesota & Iowa unites nearly 50,000 healthcare and long-term care workers in hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, and home care throughout Minnesota and Iowa. The union seeks to secure the American Dream for all working people, including a paycheck that supports a family, quality, affordable healthcare, a secure retirement, and the freedom to form a union for a voice on the job.