Support the Deer River Clinic Workers!

The workers at the Essentia Health Clinic in Deer River, Minnesota have been locked into bitter contract negotiations for some time.  The workers there are represented by the Service Employees International Union.  Recently, after a membership vote, the union voted to hold a two day un-fair labor practices strike on January 2 and 3. 

The picket lines will be up and running from 6am to 6pm each day.  We encourage our readers to support this strike.  If you can make it to the picket line, please do.  Otherwise, we urge you to call Essentia Health to urge them to accept the union’s contract demands.

Other regional healthcare worker unions are standing in support of the Deer River workers.  United Steelworkers Local 9460, which is the biggest union representing workers at Essentia Health, has stated that they stand in 100% support of SEIU.  They have also filed the required notification that their members will be walking the SEIU picket line in solidarity with the workers there (reactionary federal law requires healthcare worker unions to file a 10 day notice of any intent to strike or picket).

If you work at Essentia Health, be on the look out for the company trying to sign up anyone as a strike breaker. Do NOT sign up to work in Deer River during the strike. It's important that we support or working class sisters, brothers and siblings during their struggle for a fair contract! Health care workers of the Northland, unite!