FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Jan. 14, 2019
BEND, Ore. — After 26 negotiation sessions, St. Charles leaders and Bend hospital nurses represented by the Oregon Nurses Association reached a tentative agreement early Saturday morning on all remaining articles in the contract. Negotiations wrapped up after a marathon, two-day session that ended after 1 a.m.
“We want to thank the members of both bargaining teams for the months they have spent working toward a fair contract,” said Debbie Robinson, chief nursing officer for St. Charles Bend. “We greatly appreciate the dedication and commitment to our patients and community. We are thrilled to have reached a conclusion that both sides feel good about and are ready to move forward and focus on what we do best – providing safe, quality patient care.”
Full details will be shared with Bend nurses by the ONA in coming days and the union will schedule a ratification vote. The contract must be ratified by a majority of the more than 900 nurses represented within the bargaining unit before it is implemented. The nurses will continue working under the existing contract language, as they have throughout negotiations, until the ratification vote takes place.
“I’m proud of both negotiating teams for continuing to come back to the table and doing the hard work that led to this agreement,” said Aaron Adams, President for St. Charles Bend. “The teams came together and reached terms that both parties felt were fair. We are pleased with the result and look forward to the next four-and-a-half years of stability the agreement provides for our organization.”
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 and Sisters. St. Charles is a private, not-for-profit Oregon corporation and is the largest employer in Central Oregon with more than 4,200 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.
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