Advanced Practice Providers Gain Right to Unionization: Essentia Health’s Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants Now Eligible to Vote

The National Labor Relations Board has recently ruled that Essentia Health’s advanced practice providers, including nurse practitioners, physician assistants, certified nurse midwives, and certified nurse specialists, will have the opportunity to vote on unionization. The Minnesota Nurses Association filed a petition for a single bargaining unit in November and held a hearing in February. The election will take place by mail on June 24, with ballots due by July 22.

The group believes that unionization will give them more control over their practice and working conditions as members of the MNA. On the other hand, Essentia Health released a statement stating that the ruling deviates from the board’s Health Care Rule, which typically separates hospital and clinic employees. Essentia believes that its advanced practice providers work in various settings and specialties with individual interests and skills, making it challenging to represent them in a single bargaining unit.

Essentia Health is made up of 14 hospitals, 78 clinics, 24 retail pharmacies, six long-term care facilities, three assisted living facilities, three independent living facilities, seven ambulance services, and one research institute throughout Minnesota, North Dakota, and Wisconsin. Brielle Bredsten can be contacted for story tips or feedback at [bbredsten@duluthnews.com](mailto:bbredsten@duluthnews.com).