St. Paul, MN – More than 1,500 registered nurses, pharmacists, nurse practitioners, lab techs, physicians assistants, nurse midwives, and other caregivers at 29 metro area HealthPartners clinics yesterday ratified a new three-year contract.

The highlights of the contract include:

• Establishing the first employer-funded training fund for healthcare workers in the Midwest ensuring the retention of experienced caregivers
• Taking a step to improved patient care with the establishment of a Patient Care Committee
• Maintaining fully-employer paid single health insurance and affordable family coverage
• Across the board wage increases of 3.5%, 3%, and 3% over the three years of the contract

“By establishing the first healthcare worker training fund in the Midwest while maintaining affordable health insurance, this contract sets a new standard for all healthcare workers in the Midwest,” said Kate Lynch, a Licensed Practical Nurse at HealthPartners Arden Hills Clinic.

“The formation of the Patient Care committee is the first step to making sure our voices are heard in critical patient care and staffing decisions,” said Jean Pfarr, a Registered Nurse at HealthPartners Specialty Center in St. Paul & HealthPartners Como Clinic also in St. Paul.

The new collective bargaining agreement between SEIU Healthcare Minnesota members and HealthPartners expires at 11:59PM on Thursday, January 31, 2011.