MEDFORD, Ore.– UPDATE: Nurses from Providence Medford Medical Center passed a new two-year contract agreement with the hospital on Saturday night.
The 287 registered nurses, represented by Oregon Nurses Association successfully voted to ratify the contract after eight months of negotiations and collective actions.
“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.
ONA says the agreement will help to attract new nurses as well as retain skilled nurses by providing increasing wages of 6 to 9.5 percent – based on the nurses experience – over the two-year agreement.
In a press release, the ONA also outlined other benefits from this contract:
- 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 new agreement will take effect immediately.
MEDFORD, Ore.– A vote on a tentative agreement between Providence Medford Medical Center and the Oregon Nurses Association will be decided Saturday night.
Throughout the day, over 300 nurses from Medford’s Providence hospital put in their vote on whether to pass the agreement.
The agreement would allow the hospital to retain it’s nurses and provide more competitive pay to attract new ones. It would also help staff the hospital and provide better care for the patients.
While it seems like a deal is near, union leaders say it’s still important everyone weighs in.
“Certainly there was no active campaign to vote NO. But it’s important that every nurse has a say,” said Kevin Mealy, spokesman for the Oregon Nurses Association. “It’s a democratic process where nurses elect the negotiating team to work with the hospital.”
If the vote passes, the agreement takes effect immediately. All votes should be tallied by 9 p.m.
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