Spirits were high despite low temperatures earlier this week on the picket line in Deer River as the SEIU strike against Essentia went into its second month.

More than 25 people stood and waved signs along Division Street, warmed by propane heaters and sometimes taking a break in a popup fish house as the temperature struggled to get above zero. A steady stream of honks from passing vehicles punctuated the cold air.

The message from workers is clear: They’ve made it this far, and they’re ready to keep fighting.

“We have to do it,” said Nadine Sears, a dietary aid who’s been working at the facility for five years. “People should know — there’s

Support from the community has been key, they said. “They’ve been so helpful,” said Peggy Doty, who also works in nutrition. “They come out and talk to us so they can understand the issue, and it keeps morale up. We’re in it for the long haul.”

At issue is pay. SEIU is fighting for a wage that’s comparable to that at other Essentia Health facilities, and workers say that being in a rural area — the population of Deer River is around 900 — shouldn’t be an excuse to suppress wages.

“We’re the least paid across the system,” said Nate Bohnen, who’s worked four years in the nutrition department. “We may be in a rural community, but we have the same bills other people do, we shop at the same Target or WalMart as in larger communities.”

Sears said that while healthcare workers love what they do, employers shouldn’t also use that as an excuse to pay less. “People should know — this is such a caring group. WE do this work because we care. But burnout is real.”

During the one-hour strike shift on Tuesday, SEIU members joked with each other and excitedly finalized plans for the upcoming rally in Duluth.

Earlier reporting:

“It doesn’t matter what the temperature is outside,” says SEIU internal organizer and lead negotiator Kayla Schwankle — members are ready for the long haul.
That was the message last week as the strike at Deer River Essentia entered its second month, and as Schwankle and Certified Surgical Technologist Sarah Jo Roberts came to the Duluth Central Labor Body’s January meeting to give an update.
Morale on the line says high even as temperatures drop, and members have gotten out their fish houses and propane tanks to keep warm. Support from other unions has been very high, Schwankle said — on the day of this interview, members of the teachers union had stopped by with pizzas for the people on strike.
As far as negotiations are concerned, though, talks have frozen. “We sent a letter to the employer listing every day we’re available to talk, which is every day through the end of [January],” Schwankle said. “The response was they wanted to wait until a mediator sets a date. We’ve given them dates to meet twice, with no response from them.”
At issue are fair market wages that are competitive with other facilities in the area and other Essential facilities. In addition, the union is fighting what the employer calls “cross-facility cooperation,” which shuffles work schedules and locations, and can bring in lower-paid employees to do the same work as higher-paid.
“They’re willing to waste money on all these little things — at this point, they wouldn’t have had to spend this amount if they had just settled with us,” Schwankle said. “Our members have come this far, so we’re not giving up now.”
Allies are always welcome on the picket line, but hours may vary depending on the weather. Before driving from Duluth, check with Schwankle at 218-251-4650 regarding picket times.
As this paper was going to press, SEIU and allies were preparing for a rally and informational picket on January 15 to show Essentia the community’s support for the workers in Deer River. Check www.laborworld.org for coverage of that event.
In related news, SEIU officially rejoined the AFL-CIO after 20 years, bringing 2 million members back into the federation.
The January 8 joint announcement by AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler and new SEIU President April Verrett culminates months, if not years, of unofficial cooperation, especially in politics, between SEIU and the federation, which now has more than 13 million members in 60 unions.
The federation and SEIU announced SEIU’s return in late-night statements, after their boards ratified it. They officially unveiled it at an afternoon roundtable discussion with workers on January 9 at the federation’s Martin Luther King Jr. conference in Austin, Texas.
The joint release said its return is “at a critical moment when everything is on the line” for workers. Shuler told the Associated Press, “We are amassing our forces, building our strength and our power before the inauguration. Working people will continue to demand that our voices be heard.”
Locally, members of SEIU affiliated with the North East Area Labor Council late last year.