USW TECHNICAL UNIT
Bargaining

 

This page provides updates on negotiations between Essentia Health and the United Steelworkers (USW) Local 9460 for a new collective bargaining agreement that covers 800 employees at Essentia facilities in Duluth and Superior serving in technical roles such as lab techs, pharmacy techs, surgical techs, radiology techs and many other similar roles.

Bargaining Update: June 15, 2026 

Essentia Health and the United Steelworker (USW) Technical Unit bargaining committees held their fourth in-person bargaining session June 9-11 at the Labor Temple for continued contract negotiations. The conversation focused primarily on economic proposals, with more details about the bargaining below.

Bargaining Recap

At the end of our previous session, the USW had sent a draft of their economic proposals via email, and the parties agreed that the union would kick off negotiations last week by formally presenting their complete proposals at the bargaining table.

The parties were scheduled to start Tuesday morning, but instead the union spent the day finalizing their economic proposals and did not come to the table at all that day.

On Wednesday morning, the USW began presenting their economic proposals when they came to the table at 11 a.m. Their proposal document was 13 pages long and included more than 100 different requests affecting more than 32 articles. Because the union proposals took over 2 hours and 15 minutes to present, the parties took a short break before reconvening at the table to go through Essentia’s six economic proposals. These included memorializing existing LOU language into the collective bargaining agreement, the ability to offer critical shift incentives, and enhanced benefit options, as well as a few carry-over proposals from non-economic discussions.

To begin the day on Thursday, we engaged in a productive discussion with the union’s bargaining committee to clarify some proposals from both Essentia and USW. Discussions mainly centered around unscheduled shift bonuses, productivity standards and scheduling practices on holiday weeks. Based on the number of outstanding proposals to work through, the parties agreed to resume negotiations at the table on Tuesday, when Essentia’s bargaining team will offer a full response to the union’s extensive list of proposals.

What’s Next

The remaining bargaining dates are scheduled for June 16-18 and June 23-26. We only have six more days of bargaining scheduled and are looking forward to collaborating with the union on identifying top priorities and reaching a mutually beneficial agreement prior to contract expiration on June 30.

Thank you for your interest in these bargaining updates. We will continue to share details about negotiations as they progress.

Bargaining Update: May 27, 2026 

The Essentia Health and the United Steelworker (USW) Technical Unit bargaining committees held their third in-person bargaining session on May 19-21 at the Labor Temple for continued contract negotiations. Both parties made good progress during their three days of bargaining, which is outlined in greater detail below. 

May 19 (day 7 of bargaining) 

The USW provided a counterproposal to the package proposal Essentia made during the parties’ previous bargaining session. After reviewing the proposal, the parties took a break for lunch. 

A large portion of the remainder of the day focused on answering the USW’s extensive request for information (RFI) on voluntary cross-facility cooperation. Essentia answered the USW’s questions and explained that the proposal is intended to: 

• • Create a more consistent process when an employee volunteers to help at another facility. (Essentia’s team provided examples of how this works at other Essentia facilities.) 
  • Provide more options in situations that might otherwise lead to mandatory or voluntary time off (MTO/VTO).  
  • Help address staffing needs by offering work to qualified employees who want additional opportunities. 

Essentia also discussed safeguards built into the proposal, including that employees would need to be qualified and appropriately oriented before working at another location. Additional clarification was provided regarding pay, seniority, benefits, malpractice coverage and workers’ compensation. We completed the day at 3:30 p.m. per USW’s request.  

May 20 (day 8 of bargaining) 

At the request of the union, negotiations were set to resume on Wednesday at 11 a.m., instead of 10 a.m. as scheduled, so the union could prepare a counterproposal. It was ready at 11:45 a.m. and thereafter the parties met and continued exchanging proposals. Much of the day was spent discussing voluntary cross-facility cooperation. Essentia again clarified that the proposal is not meant to replace the normal process for filling vacancies. Additional details discussed included: 

• • Participation would be voluntary. 
  • Employees would be paid their regular rate of pay, including all applicable differentials and adders that they are normally eligible for. 
  • Hours worked would count towards overtime calculations, benefits, seniority and step hours. 
  • Travel time and mileage would follow existing Essentia Health Travel and Expense Reimbursement policy, when applicable. 

May 21 (day 9 of bargaining) 

On day 9, the parties were at the table at 10:25 a.m. to continue working through the remaining non-economic proposals and made additional progress reaching tentative agreements. 

At the direction of the USW, much of the discussion included department-related language. Essentia raised concerns that a broad definition of “department” could create unintended consequences based on how work areas have historically been organized and addressed over time. The parties also continued to resolve, withdraw and narrow remaining proposals. 

At the end of the day the union spent extra time putting together its economic proposals, which it sent to Essentia early May 22. Essentia is grateful to the union bargaining committee for their extra effort pulling their economic proposals together as we concluded our session.  

Where things stand 

Across the three-day session, Essentia and the USW exchanged multiple counter proposals. A primary focus was still voluntary cross-facility cooperation. Essentia responded to all 54 items in the USW’s cross-facility cooperation information request and answered additional follow-up questions. Essentia reassured the USW that the cross-facility cooperation provisions are intended to:  

• • Provide policy and process standardization for instances when an employee volunteers to help at another facility.
  • Give more opportunities to employees in situations that would otherwise result in MTO/VTO, or to employees interested in picking up additional shifts above their FTE. 
  • Offer greater staffing flexibility for Essentia to meet fluctuating patient needs and unforeseen absences by being able to offer the work to qualified employees who volunteer to help. 

At this point: 

• • Cross-facility cooperation remains under active discussion. 
  • All remaining non-economic proposals have now been resolved. 
  • The parties are prepared to move into economic proposals during the next bargaining sessions. 

This is all thanks to productive discussions at the table and the collaborative effort of both parties to reach understanding and resolution. 

The remaining bargaining dates are: 

• • June 9-11 
  • June 16-18 
  • June 23-25 

Day 9 marked the halfway point of the 18 scheduled bargaining dates. We look forward to continuing to work toward a mutually beneficial agreement.

Bargaining Update: May 12, 2026

Essentia Health continued contract negotiations with the United Steelworker (USW) Technical Unit on May 5-7 last week at the Labor Temple in Duluth.

During the three-day session, the parties continued discussing the union’s numerous non-economic proposals. We reached tentative agreements on several items, including an updated grievance process, progressive discipline policy language and a number of housekeeping items. Essentia also presented counter offers to union proposals related to mutual agreement requirements in scheduling practices, as well as the distinction between subcontractors and temporary employees.

Essentia now has three outstanding non-economic proposals remaining, including updated vacancy posting language, removing outdated policy number references and new voluntary cross-facility cooperation provisions. The cross-facility cooperation proposal is designed to give qualified staff more opportunities to voluntarily support other Essentia locations when extra help is needed.

We anticipate beginning discussions on economic priorities next week. We have encouraged the USW representatives to come prepared with their economic proposals.

The Essentia committee also researched and responded to several additional information requests that were received from the USW in between sessions.

Negotiations will resume on May 19-21.

Bargaining Update: May 5, 2026

Essentia Health began contract negotiations with the United Steelworker (USW) Technical Unit on April 28-30 last week. This is also known as the “Redbook” contract. The parties met in person at the Labor Temple in Duluth.

During the three-day session, both parties presented their opening non-economic proposals and had some initial discussion to gain an understanding of respective priorities.

The USW’s proposals were numerous, focusing on a wide range of topics affecting more than 28 new and existing contract provisions. The Essentia bargaining team spent time considering each of the union’s proposals, asking clarifying questions and evaluating the implications of each one before offering responses. Essentia presented counter offers to several of the USW proposals related to the current grievance process and the existing progressive discipline policy. The parties remain far apart on a number of topics, which is not unusual for the start of the bargaining process.

The Essentia committee also spent time researching and responding to various information requests that were received from the USW in between sessions.

Negotiations resume this week on May 5, 6 and 7, and the Essentia bargaining committee looks forward to continued productive discussions with the USW as we work together to achieve a new contract.

We will continue to provide updates on this site as negotiations progress.

Bargaining Update: March 25, 2026

The collective bargaining agreement between Essentia Health and the USW Local 9460 Technical Unit expires June 30, 2026. We look forward to negotiations beginning on April 28, 29 and 30, with 15 additional bargaining days scheduled through the end of June.

Time at the bargaining table
Our goal is to reach an agreement on a new contract by the time the current contract expires. In the past, negotiations have extended beyond the expiration date of the contract. We believe that our negotiations can be settled before the expiration date of the current contract and are committed to devoting the necessary time and resources to reaching a timely settlement.

Listening to our colleagues
We have been listening to our colleagues through department meetings, pulse surveys, joint labor management meetings and daily conversations with leaders. We will take those discussions into consideration as we prepare our contract proposals.

Working together
As always, we strongly encourage our colleagues to communicate and seek answers from their leaders directly. Through open dialogue, we can continue to work together as a cohesive team.

Regular Updates
We will post updates on this website as negotiations progress. If you have specific questions about bargaining, please reach out to your leader.

Building on positive bargaining results
Last year, Essentia ratified agreements with 30 separate bargaining units. We were able to accomplish this by coming together and finding common ground on key issues. We are focused on delivering high-quality health care to our patients in a sustainable way, ensuring our colleagues have a safe and healthy workplace, and providing a competitive wage and benefits package. We hope to have the same positive result for all our colleagues covered by the USW “Redbook” contract.

 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Below is a representative sample of frequently asked questions (FAQs) about the bargaining process and what it means for USW Technical Unit and Essentia Health.

Who is covered by Essentia Health’s current USW Local 9460 Technical Unit agreement?
The current agreement covers more than 800 colleagues in the Twin Ports.

What is the status of negotiations?
The current contract was ratified in February 2024 and expires June 30, 2026. We will begin meeting with the USW in April to negotiate a new three-year contract.

When does the current agreement expire?
Our USW Technical Unit agreement expires on June 30, 2026.

What is Essentia Health’s goal in the USW Technical Unit negotiations?
Essentia has a history of reaching successful agreements with the USW, and we are committed to reaching a similar outcome this year with colleagues represented by the USW’s Technical Unit contract. We also remain committed to providing seamless, high-quality care to our patients and their families while we work through the bargaining process.

What happens next?

When negotiations begin again, Essentia will be committed to working through a range of issues of interest to both parties in a thoughtful and deliberate manner through the usual process of bargaining in good faith.

Will you share updates throughout this negotiations process?
Yes, we will continue to provide updates on this website about the activity at the bargaining table.

 

Still Have a Question?

For additional information or relevant questions not addressed here, email the Essentia Health team at [email protected].