BEND, Ore. – Registered nurses at St. Charles Medical Center, represented by the Oregon Nurses Association (ONA), overwhelmingly voted to approve a new three-year contract with the hospital that aims to improve patient care and help retain and attract qualified nurses to the Bend community.
After more than six months of negotiations, local nurses were able to reach a tentative agreement with the hospital earlier this month. On Oct. 26, nurses overwhelmingly voted to ratify the agreement with 85 percent voting to approve it.
“Nurses came together to support a contract that allows us to continue providing high-quality care to our patients and will help attract more experienced nurses to our community,“ ONA bargaining unit chair John Nangle, RN, ED, said. “We will continue to advocate for our community to make sure everyone has access to the care they deserve.”
Highlights of the contract include:
- Commitment to create staffing plans that prioritize patient care and facilitate nurses taking legally-mandated rest periods
- Short term disability support to help nurses who are sick or injured
- A new interdisciplinary committee focused on nurse engagement, the patient experience and quality outcomes
- Reasonable wage increases to help attract qualified nurses to the Bend community
The contract term is retroactive and effective from July 1, 2015 to July 1, 2018. The agreement includes reasonable wage increases totaling 8.25 percent over the life of the contract to help retain and attract the experienced nurses necessary to meet rising health care demands in one of the nation’s fastest-growing metropolitan areas.
The Oregon Nurses Association represents more than 700 nurses at St. Charles Medical Center in Bend and more than 12,000 nurses statewide.
ONA was founded in 1904 as the professional association for nurses in Oregon. It is a nonprofit association and a labor union representing registered nurses. ONA’s mission is to advocate for nursing and quality health care. Additional information is available at www.OregonRN.org
