Nurses at Providence St. Vincent Medical Center in Portland, Ore., and Providence Willamette Falls Medical Center in Oregon City, Ore., have reached tentative agreements with their employers, according to the union that represents them.
The Oregon Nurses Association represents more than 4,000 nurses working in 10 Providence facilities including Providence Willamette Falls, Providence Milwaukie (Ore.) Hospital and Providence St. Vincent. Union members at all three facilities have authorized strikes, giving them the ability to call one if needed.
During a combined bargaining session for all three hospitals, tentative agreements were reached at Providence St. Vincent and Providence Willamette Falls, while "substantial progress" was made at Providence Milwaukie, the ONA said in a Facebook post. Nurses must still ratify the tentative agreements.
According to the ONA, highlights of the tentative agreements include full retro pay, wage adjustment, wage parity, two-year contract duration, and staffing and scheduling language "that supports safe patient care and nurse practice."
In a statement shared with Becker's, Providence said: "We are grateful for the tremendous work by the members of the respective negotiating teams toward reaching agreements that serve our nurses, patients and the community."
The next negotiating session for Providence Milwaukie is July 7.