Registered nurses overwhelmingly voted to ratify a two-and-a-half year contract agreement with St. Charles Bend Feb. 19. The new agreement builds on nurses’ historic 2023 contract which addressed rising costs, improved caregiver recruitment and retention, and rebuilt trust between frontline caregivers and St. Charles management.
“This agreement shows what’s possible when nurses are treated as strategic partners,” said Rosa Brock, RN, ONA executive team chair at St. Charles Bend. “Working together we found a way to build on our successes, continue raising healthcare standards and ensure our community has a stable healthcare system with nurses they know they can rely on.”
KEY CONTRACT HIGHLIGHTS
- Recruitment and retention improvements with wage increases of 7.5% spread over the next two and a half years
- Pay equity for nurse case managers and transfer center PLRN/TCRNs who will be placed on same salary scale as their nurse colleagues
- Long-term healthcare stability with a new contract that continues through June 30, 2029
As the only level II trauma center east of the Cascades, nurses at St. Charles Bend are responsible for patients from across Central and Eastern Oregon and into Washington. During difficult economic times, nurses felt it was more important than ever to sign a contract that provides continuity and certainty for patients throughout the region.
“A lot of our neighbors are struggling. Housing costs are up, the tourist industry is hurting and people are having trouble getting access to basic healthcare,” said David Hilderbrand, RN, ONA vice-chair at St. Charles Bend. “This contract stabilizes our community’s safety net. Your nurses aren’t going anywhere.”
Nurses and St. Charles management have been actively collaborating to address health and safety issues between bargaining sessions through a labor management committee. Nurses plan to continue working together with St. Charles management to keep building trust and solving problems as they arise.
“Our last agreement helped us turn the corner and resolve a lot of our recruitment and retention issues,” said Brock.“Now that we’re more safely staffed, we can spend more time with each patient and focus on our passion; caring for our community.”
The new contract runs through June 30, 2029.
The Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) represents more than 1200 registered nurses at St. Charles Bend along with providers at St. Charles Prineville, Redmond and Home Health and Hospice.
