VIRGINIA — Nurses at Essentia Health-Virginia voted to ratify their union contract.
The Minnesota Nurses Association reported the vote Wednesday, Dec. 17, came after months of prolonged and challenging negotiations with the health care provider. Essentia Health said the agreement was reached after 10 bargaining sessions beginning in July.
The three-year contract covers more than 100 nurses and will be effective through July 31, 2028.
MNA stated the nurses remained “unified in their advocacy for patient care and a sustainable health care system on the Iron Range.”
In a statement, Essentia Health said the agreement “not only honors their vital contributions but also strengthens our shared dedication to protecting and advancing high-quality health care in this community we are privileged to serve.”
-
And: COVID learning woes still haunt MN kids' well-being. -
And: A McGregor gas station was fined by the state Pollution Control Agency; the Arrowhead Regional Development Commission was given a transportation award; and Red Lake County will defend its baseball title Monday.
-
Contributed/Alyssa Chen / Minnesota ReformerThe state abruptly paused payment to thousands of care providers in May in a rush to meet a federal deadline. -
Contributed/Lakers Girls Golf Instagram PageAlmost 90 Northland students competed at the state golf tournament June 9-10, 2026, around the Twin Cities. -
Contributed/Brian DowThe number of detainees has not been confirmed. Bemidji police and Beltrami sheriff's deputies did not take part, leaders say. Some community members gathered to protest. -
And: A missing Alexandria woman found alive in mud puddle near Backus; a nature-based early learning center opens in Coleraine; and Brainerd boys and Detroit Lakes girls are state golf champions.
-
Contributed/briandjan607 via FlickrThe Emergency Forest Order, which prohibited campfires and charcoal-fueled cookstoves, will be lifted on June 12, 2026. -
Contributed/Bemidji Fire DepartmentThe Bemidji Fire Department responded to the multi-family structure fire in the nearby city of Wilton on June 10, 2026. -
Larissa Donovan/KAXEThe Paul Bunyan Playhouse is bringing back professional theater to the Historic Chief Theater for the first full season since 2023. -
Erin Bowman/KAXEChildren at the nature-based Roots and Wings Early Learning Center in southern Coleraine typically spend five to six hours outside each day on the 25-acre campus.
