CHI St. Francis Health nurses vote to join union

BRECKENRIDGE, Minn. (KVRR) – Registered nurses at CHI St. Francis Health in Breckenridge have voted to join a union.

The nurses will join AFSCME Council 65, which represents 15,000 workers in government, non-profits, and healthcare facilities in Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota.

“As larger and larger healthcare systems continue to run small hospitals like ours, it’s important to have meaningful input from professionals who work directly with our community. In a union, we have more resources and confidence to speak up at work,” said registered nurse Connie Okeson.

CHI St. Francis Breckenridge is a 25-bed critical access hospital that serves Breckenridge, Wahpeton, ND and the surrounding area. The hospital has a long history. The first patients were admitted in 1899.