Joint press release from St. Charles Health System and Oregon Nurses Association
BEND – Nurses at St. Charles Bend voted overwhelmingly to ratify and approve a 3.5-year contract with St. Charles Health System, according to results from the Oregon Nurses Association shared today. The vote secures a contract for the nearly 1,000 nurses through June 2026 at the Bend hospital.
“Today is a positive step forward, for St. Charles nurses and for the health system as a whole. We believe this contract will go far to secure the goal we share with our nurses – to recruit and retain more qualified RNs, which has been increasingly challenging during a nationwide nursing shortage,” said Iman Simmons, Chief Operations Officer for St. Charles Health System. “We are optimistic about the future of the health system and for our ability to move forward in partnership with the Bend ONA.”
“Nurses from St. Charles are so grateful to this community for their support,” said Erin Harrington, RN. “We love this community and are 100% committed to providing our neighbors and friends the world class health care they deserve. The nurses have voted and shown their strong support for this contract – a contract that moves us forward toward better recruitment and retention and improved working conditions.”
According to the ONA, the new contract makes nurses at St. Charles the highest paid in the state. Details of the contract include:
- July 2023: $5 per hour increase (this is in addition to a $5 per hour increase given in March of 2023)
- July 2024: 4% increase
- July 2025: 4% increase
- January 2026: 4% increase
The contract also includes adjustments to shift differentials.
About St. Charles Health System
St. Charles Health System, Inc., headquartered in Bend, Ore., owns and operates St. Charles Bend, Madras, Prineville and Redmond. It also owns family care clinics in Bend, Madras, Prineville, Redmond, La Pine and Sisters. St. Charles is a private, not-for-profit Oregon corporation and is the largest employer in Central Oregon with more than 4,500 caregivers. In addition, there are more than 350 active medical staff members and nearly 200 visiting medical staff members who partner with the health system to provide a wide range of care and service to our communities.
