The Association of University Registered Nurses — which is the local Oregon Nurses Association chapter — has reached a tentative labor contract with management at Portland-based Oregon Health & Science University.
The agreement, reached Sept. 25, covers nearly 3,200 nurses at OHSU, according to a joint statement. Both parties had been in negotiations for 10 months.
"This contract stands as the cornerstone for fostering a robust, healthy and secure nursing workforce, enabling us to deliver top-notch care to our patients and the communities of the Pacific Northwest," the parties said in their joint statement.
Union members will vote to ratify the tentative agreement during the first week of October. If approved, the contract will include historic wage increases, according to a news release from the union.
Oregon Nurses Association representatives said the tentative contract includes:
- Minimum staffing standards guaranteed by June 1.
- Wage increases of 15 percent, 6 percent and 6 percent each year of the tentative deal, respectively, as well as a new 30-step wage scale.
- A 37 percent increase to the average base wage over the life of the tentative agreement.
- Paid training for trauma-informed care and in-person de-escalation training, including advanced physical skills, crisis intervention and assault prevention.
- Full retroactive pay.
The new agreement will run through June 2026.