Providence nurses begin 2-day ratification vote

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — One day after a second tentative agreement was reached between striking Providence hospital nurses and management, union members began voting whether to ratify the new deal.

Voting is expected to last for 48 hours beginning at 4 p.m. Saturday, the Oregon Nurses Association said in a release. If the tentative deals are ratified, nurses will return to work at their specific hospital on Thursday, February 27. This timeline is one day longer than originally announced. Officials said it’s so union members will have time to “make informed decisions.”

While some nurses said this offer is not acceptable, other nurses, like Kathy Keane, are hopeful the contract will be accepted.

“I feel like we have worked really hard to get the hospital to this point. and they’ve made a lot of concessions to move in our direction,” Keane said.

Overall, the deal will impact about 5,000 nurses from Providence St. Vincent, Providence Portland Medical Center, Providence Medford Medical Center, Providence Newberg, Providence Willamette Falls, Providence Milwaukie, Providence Hood River and Providence Seaside.

Second tentative deal

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 Jan. 10, striking nurses claimed they were advocating for terms like smaller caseloads, increased paid time off and affordable health care.

The labor organization is now reporting that 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.

Under the proposed contract, nurses at facilities with contracts that expired before December will receive 75% retroactive pay for the hours they clocked last year.

“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 release.

Read: Tentative contract deal between ONA, Providence

Providence initially reached a tentative deal with bargaining units in early February, but it was later rejected. ONA said the offer failed to adequately address workers’ grievances.

The following week, Providence alerted nurses 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.”