Latest news with #ONA-represented
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Strike over: Providence nurses ‘overwhelmingly' ratify deal
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — The strike by nearly 5000 nurses at 8 Providence hospitals around the state of Oregon is over after the reached last Friday. The nurses voted overwhelmingly to ratify the deal and end the 46-day strike, the Oregon Nurses Association said in a release. The new contract is 'a major victory' for caregivers, Providence patients and the communities throughout Oregon, said nurse Virginia Smith, a leader on the ONA bargaining unit. 'As RNs, we believe that these contracts will lead to greater recruitment and retention of frontline nurses as wages become more aligned with other health systems, and we have staffing language that will allow us to spend more time with the patients that need the most care,' Smith said in a statement. Nurses will return to work beginning with the night shift at their specific hospital — — Providence St. Vincent, Providence Portland Medical Center, Providence Medford Medical Center, Providence Newberg, Providence Willamette Falls, Providence Milwaukie, Providence Hood River and Providence Seaside — on Wednesday night. The two days of voting on the deal began Saturday afternoon. Union officials released the tally shortly after voting concluded at 4 p.m. Monday. On Friday afternoon, the company announced that both parties' bargaining teams tentatively agreed on a contract after three days of 'intensive bargaining facilitated by federal mediators.' When the Oregon Nurses Association launched its walkout on , striking nurses claimed they were advocating for terms like smaller caseloads, increased paid time off and affordable health care. The labor organization reported nurses will see wage increases ranging from 20% to 42% throughout the span of the contract, and an immediate hike between 16% and 22%. ONA said the tentative agreement also includes 'penalty pay' for when nurses miss a break or meal, and new health benefits to ensure 'comprehensive courage' for staff. 'These hard-won agreements reflect the dedication and determination of ONA nurses who stood strong in their fight for fair treatment, safe working conditions and better healthcare for their communities,' ONA said in a initially reached a tentative deal with bargaining units in early February, but it was later . ONA said the offer failed to adequately address workers' grievances. The following week, Providence that they would no longer have access to health care if the strike continued through Feb. 28. 'Providence is hopeful that ONA-represented nurses will ratify the tentative agreements that pave a solid path forward for us all,' Providence Oregon CEO Jennifer Burrows said in a statement on Friday. 'Together, we look forward to continuing to provide excellent and compassionate care for our patients in these communities we serve.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
22-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Providence, nurses union reach new tentative deal in 6-week-long strike
Nurses from the Legacy Health System support nurses on the strike line at Providence Portland Medical Center in northeast Portland. (Photo courtesy of Oregon Nurses Association) Nurses would be paid more and receive compensation for missing breaks under a tentative agreement reached by Providence Health & Services and the Oregon Nurses Association that could end a six-week-long strike. Providence and the union announced the new agreement, which comes after union members rejected another deal earlier this month, in separate news releases Friday. Providence said it reached the deal after three days of intensive bargaining. 'Providence is hopeful that ONA-represented nurses will ratify the tentative agreements that pave a solid path forward for us all,' said Jennifer Burrows, chief executive of Providence Oregon. The union hailed the agreement as a milestone, saying it represents 'a significant achievement for ONA nurses, marking a powerful step forward in their ongoing commitment to fair wages, safe staffing, and high-quality patient care.' The strike, which started Jan. 10, is the longest in Oregon's health care history. Nearly 5,000 nurses walked off the job at Providence's eight hospitals in Oregon in Hood River, Medford, Milwaukie, Newberg, Seaside and Oregon City and two in Portland. The strike also included nurses, physicians and other staff at Providence's six women's clinics in the Portland area and hospital physicians at Providence St. Vincent Medical Center in southwest Portland. The physicians and clinic union members approved their deals but the nurses rejected the early agreement by more than 80%. The Oregon Nurses Association said the bargaining units for seven of the hospitals recommend that union members back the agreements, while the team at Providence Medford was neutral. The deal includes wage increases for nurses from 20% to 42%, with an immediate 16% to 22% raise upon ratification, the union said. It also includes step increases starting next year along with guaranteed pay for missed breaks or meal breaks. It also includes retroactive pay for nurses whose contract expired last year or earlier. The contracts for each hospital expired on different dates — for example, the Providence St. Vincent contract expired Dec. 31, 2023. Under the deal, nurses would receive the new rates for 75% of all hours worked without a contract in 2024, including for vacation days and paid time off, the union said. Obtaining retroactive pay has been a major sticking point. The contracts for nurses at Seaside and Portland expired this past Dec. 31, so they would not be eligible for retroactive pay, but would receive a $1,750 bonus spread over two pay periods after ratification, plus another $750 within six months. Nurses will vote on the agreement this weekend. If it's ratified, nurses would return to work next Wednesday. If adopted, the contracts would have a range of expiration dates, from Dec. 31, 2026 for St. Vincent, Newberg, Oregon City and Milwaukie and March 31, 2027 for Medford and Hood River. The contract for Providence Portland and Seaside nurses would expire Dec. 31, 2027. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
