Some nurses in Minnesota are calling for triple pay for all hours worked while travel nurses are being used.

The demand was part of a petition filed by 672 nurse members of the Minnesota Nurse Association with hospital management at six Mayo Clinic facilities. They also called for wage fairness and retention bonuses.

“Nurses continue to work under extremely difficult circumstances to care for our patients while Mayo CEOs make millions off our hard work,” said Kelly Rosevold, RN at Mayo Clinic Health System – Mankato. “As nurses continue to face down a pandemic, a work environment that feels unsafe, and unresponsive management, these demands will help to sustain nurses who are providing quality patient care at the bedside.”

The petition called for paying the nurses triple time for hours worked while travel nurse are being used. In addition, the petition called for a $4,000 bonus to be paid for every three months that nurses remain on the job.

Nurses from six facilities located in Albert Lea, Austin, Fairmont, Lake City, Mankato and Red Wing signed the petition.

The Minnesota Nurses Association said nurses are overworked, hospitals are understaffed and patients are being overcharged by hospital executives. It also said nurses are quitting at a record rate because of conditions.

In a response to the petition sent to SIA, the Mayo Clinic noted that it values it nursing staff and appreciates all they have given patients and communities not just over the last two years but across the span of their careers.

“Like other organizations, we are seeing all-time high patient demand; much higher than pre-pandemic levels,” said Kristy Jacobson, communications manager at the Mayo Clinic. “Due to increased patient care needs and higher volumes of staff absences due to the high rates of Covid-19 transmission across our communities, staffing challenges continue to persist. These challenges are exacerbated by a national shortage of healthcare workers.”

Jacobson continued, the “Mayo Clinic is constantly adapting to increase recruitment and meet staffing demands, including offering premium pay and financial incentives, utilizing agency nurses, redeploying staff from outpatient areas to alleviate inpatient constraints, and, in some cases, evaluating surgical listings and adjusting schedules as needed for patients whose health or quality of life will not be adversely affected by waiting.”