CONTACT: Kevin Mealy, ONA Communications Director
765-760-2203 (m), [email protected]
(MEDFORD, Ore.) – Nurses at Providence Medford Medical Center voted today to ratify a new two-year contract agreement with the hospital to improve patient care and increase local nurse retention and recruitment.
The 287 registered nurses at Providence Medford Medical Center are represented by the Oregon Nurses Association (ONA).
“I’m proud nurses put patients first and voted to approve a fair contract that gives us the tools we need to protect our patients and helps the hospital attract and retain the caregivers our community needs,” said Dan Richmond, a local ONA nurse and negotiating team member at Providence Medford Medical Center.
The successful ratification vote ends more than eight months of contract negotiations and collective actions including a nurse-led informational picket on April 10, which attracted more than 200 nurses and local supporters.
“It’s been inspiring to see nurses and community members stand side-by-side throughout this process to advocate for better health care and a stronger workforce,” said Christalyn Matlock, a local ONA nurse and negotiating team member at Providence Medford Medical Center. “This is a real victory for our community.”
The new two-year agreement:
• Improves patient care and safety by allowing nurse experts to set training standards for nurses who float to multiple units
• Raises health standards by increasing certification pay for nurses with specialized training
• Helps Medford attract and retain skilled nurses by adopting a more competitive wage scale
• Creates a better work-life balance through collaborative scheduling plans
• Integrates new nurses into the health care team quickly
The agreement also takes steps to attract and keep skilled nurses by increasing wages 6 to 9.5 percent—based on nurses’ experience—over the length of the contract. This increase is essential to help Providence Medford Medical Center recruit and retain nurses during Oregon's projected nursing shortage.
Oregon is expected to need 6,000 more nurses than the state will have by 2025. Local nurses have been working hard to combat this nursing shortage by reducing high-turnover rates and helping Providence Medford Medical Center attract new nurses to the Rogue Valley.
The new agreement is effective immediately.
The Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) is the state’s largest nursing organization. It is a professional association and labor union which represents nearly 15,000 nurses across the state. ONA advocates for patients, nursing practice and nurses while assuring compassion, respect and dignity throughout Oregon’s health care systems. For more informati
