EMS workers in Detroit Lakes vote to unionize

Detroit Lakes, MINN. (KVRR) — It’s a new day for emergency medical workers and their patients in Lakes Country. That’s after the emergency medical staff at Essentia in Detroit Lakes voted to form a union.

St. Mary’s Essentia Health Medical Service Staff is joining forces with AFSCME Council 65. They’re the folks you’ll see if you have a medical emergency in the Detroit Lakes area.

EMT Logyn Saewart says the vote was an overwhelming majority to join.

As a privately-owned service, he says they don’t get the state funding other departments do.

He says this will help address the labor shortage in his field.

“It’s getting better, it’s getting better we’re hearing more from management over the last couple weeks, coming in and talking to us, asking us what we want. ANd we’re looking forward to negotiating with them to figure out how we can keep employees longer term and attract some of these new EMTs that are younger.”

Saewart says better retention and recruitment doesn’t just make his job easier, it also makes for better resources to improve care for his patients.