Hospital workers picketed outside of Essentia Health’s new St. Mary’s Medical Center in Duluth Friday.

More than 700 members of the United Steelworkers Local 9460 are employed across the Essentia Health system, but their contract with the hospital expired July 1, and they are in the process of negotiating a new labor contract.

“There is a little bit of frustration. We understand where they’re coming from, and why they want to do the things, but when we bring up our concerns and the concerns, it feels like they’re not understanding,” said Tuan Vu, President of USW Local 9460.

Joined by some members of the Minnesota Nurses Association, the union held an informational picket Friday raising concerns about staffing at Essentia Health.