New minimum wages for Minnesota Nursing Home Workers has received final Federal approval and will take effect on September 10th, more than three years after the State Legislature created a Nation-leading Labor Standards Board to set pay and working standards for some of the State’s lowest-paid Workers. Thousands will receive raises with the new hourly wage floors across four job categories: $22.50 for Certified Nursing Assistants; $23.50 for trained Medication Aides; $27 for Licensed Practical Nurses; and $19 for all other Nursing Home Workers. The hourly wages will increase another $1.50 per hour across all job categories on January 1st. The minimum wages are the culmination of a years-long campaign by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) - representing nearly 50,000 Minnesota Health Care And Long-Term Care Workers - to increase pay across the entire Nursing Home Sector despite fierce resistance from industry leaders, who warn tight margins keep them teetering on the brink of closure. “These Workers are a lifeline to our elders and most vulnerable residents, and they deserve financial peace of mind so they can provide the best care possible,” said Dr. Rasha Ahmad Sharif, who serves as Executive Vice President of SEIU Healthcare Minnesota & Iowa, in a statement celebrating Federal approval of the new minimum wages. Democrats created the Minnesota Nursing Home Workforce Standards Board in 2023 as part of a slew of Pro-Labor Laws, giving it broad authority to regulate working conditions in Nursing Homes.

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