April 22, 2024
Today marked our 14th bargaining session, and our 1st session done in collaboration with a federal mediator. The role of the mediator in today’s session was to provide ideas and build bridges to help us resolve open issues. ONA presented an agenda for the day that included updates on multiple open articles with an intent to reach agreements.
By mid-afternoon, a Tentative Agreement was successfully reached on Article 18 – Seniority and Job Posting.
We were also pleased to reach Agreements in Principle on:
- Article 20 – Resource Nurses: only section 10
As we have communicated, we began requesting mediation in November 2023 and ONA has held St. Vincent’s last counterproposal to Appendix A-Compensation since February 13. As a reminder, this wage proposal included: (year one) a $2/hour market and 5% increase to each step effective two full pay periods after ratification; and (year two) a 3.5% increase across the board. Retroactive wage payments are not included in this proposal.
Thankfully, ONA has agreed to participate in mediation, and we have mutually agreed to bargain economic-related proposals in June, including:
- Appendix A – Compensation
- RN Care Manager Letter of Agreement
- EP Lab Letter of Agreement
- Vacation/Sick Leave
- PTO/EIT
- Holidays
- Healthcare Benefits
Our next mediated bargaining session will not be until June 4, 2024.
Bargaining team:
Elizabeth Paxton, PhD, MSN, RN, NEA-BC | chief nursing officer
David Monego, MBA, BSN, RN, NEA-BC | nursing director
Amanda Booth, MSN, RN, CCRN | nursing manager
Tanisha Perry, BSN, RN | nursing director
Stacy Dirks, MSN, RN, NE-BC, CPHQ | nursing manager
Liz Tuttle, MA, BSN, RN, CNOR | nursing manager
Lori Kintz, SHRM-SCP | chief human resource officer, western service area
Mary Howard | human resource business partner
Matt Cecil | labor and employment counsel
April 15, 2024
We were back at the table today for our 13th bargaining session. Once again, a federal mediator was present to observe mediation. As of this morning, a mediator had not been invited by ONA to participate in discussions.
Our morning started at 10 a.m., and included an agenda shared by ONA outlining the intent for tentative agreements on multiple articles as well as proposals on article 17 – workplace safety and technology, and article 18 – seniority and job posting.
By the end of the day, tentative agreements were reached on:
- Article 5 – Hours of Work
- Article 7 – Employment Status
- Article 8 – Floating
- Article 17 – Workplace Safety and Technology
- Article 19 – Reductions in Force and Low Census
ONA withdrew their proposal on Article 9 – Leaves of Absence, and we all agreed to maintain current contract language.
During the afternoon session, your St. Vincent team presented a counterproposal to article 18 – seniority and job posting.
Also this afternoon – after seven months of bargaining, we are excited to have an agreement for two formal sessions with a federal mediator. On April 22, we’ll meet to finalize non-economic articles. We’ll meet again the first week of June to address economic issues.
We look forward to our next session with ONA.
ONA
Article 17 Workplace Safety and Technology
Article 18 Seniority and Job Posting (two proposals)
PSVMC
Article 17 Workplace Safety and Technology
Article 18 Seniority and Job Posting (two counters)
Tentative agreements
Article 17 Workplace Safety and Technology
Article 19 Reductions in Force and Low Census
Bargaining team:
Elizabeth Paxton, PhD, MSN, RN, NEA-BC | chief nursing officer
David Monego, MBA, BSN, RN, NEA-BC | nursing director
Amanda Booth, MSN, RN, CCRN | nursing manager
Tanisha Perry, BSN, RN | nursing director
Stacy Dirks, MSN, RN, NE-BC, CPHQ | nursing manager
Liz Tuttle, MA, BSN, RN, CNOR | nursing manager
Lori Kintz, SHRM-SCP | chief human resource officer, western service area
Mary Howard | human resource business partner
Matt Cecil | labor and employment counsel
April 1, 2024
After more than a month away from the table, we resumed bargaining on April 1st for our 12th session. We welcomed a federal mediator to our session as an observer, and we hope this is a first step towards full mediation.
We had a productive day, with proposals on multiple articles. With the majority of articles in ONA’s court, they presented their agendas for today, and our April 15th session. ONA communicated an intent to address non-economic articles during our scheduled April sessions. The economic articles (e.g., wages & benefits) will be addressed after the April 15th bargaining session – ideally in formal mediation.
Today’s agenda included ONA’s package proposal for:
- Article 5-Hours of Work
- Article 7-Employment Status
- Article 8-Floating
- Article 18-Seniority and Job Posting
- Article 19-Reduction in Force and Low Census
We responded to each article within ONA’s proposal, and by working collectively we had a productive day working towards a successful contract. ONA is reviewing Articles 5, 7, 8, and 19 for potential TAs.
At our next bargaining session on April 15th, ONA has indicated that they will be presenting proposals on the following:
- Article 17-Workplace Safety and Technology
- Case Management LOA
- EP Lab LOA
ONA Package Proposal for 4/1/24
ONA
Article 7: Employment Status (two proposals) 1 | 2
Article 8: Floating (no proposal sent)
Article 9: Leave of Absence (withdrew; back to original contract language)
Article 18: Seniority and Job Posting
Article 19: Reductions in Force and Low Census
PSVMC
Article 7: Employment Status (two counter proposals) 1 | 2
Article 8: Floating (packaged with Article 9)
Article 18: Seniority and Job Posting
Article 19: Reductions in Force and Low Census (packaged with Article 8)
Bargaining team:
Elizabeth Paxton, PhD, MSN, RN, NEA-BC | chief nursing officer
David Monego, MBA, BSN, RN, NEA-BC | nursing director
Amanda Booth, MSN, RN, CCRN | nursing manager
Tanisha Perry, BSN, RN | nursing director
Stacy Dirks, MSN, RN, NE-BC, CPHQ | nursing manager
Liz Tuttle, MA, BSN, RN, CNOR | nursing manager
Lori Kintz, SHRM-SCP | chief human resource officer, western service area
Mary Howard | human resource business partner
Matt Cecil | labor and employment counsel
February 20, 2024
Today, we had our 11th bargaining session, which included some important developments.
In response to our multiple requests to engage a mediator, ONA started the day with a proposed mediation agreement. We were encouraged by ONA’s desire to engage in mediation. However, their proposal to mediate contained several conditions, including prearranged agreements, which would have had legal consequences.
After we shared those concerns, ONA revised their mediation proposal by removing all but one of the conditions. ONA also proposed mediation to begin in April, and cancelled our March 4th bargaining date due to a scheduling conflict. We are working through different dates in March.
We are excited about ONA’s openness and commitment to mediation and expect to respond to their proposal soon.
In response to ONA’s request, we submitted a revised counter proposal to Article 5 - Hours of Work. No additional articles were exchanged today. Except for Health and Welfare and Appendix E, all other proposed articles are awaiting response by ONA.
We look forward to our next session with ONA.
PSVMC
Article 5: Hours of Work
Bargaining team:
Elizabeth Paxton, PhD, MSN, RN, NEA-BC | chief nursing officer
David Monego, MBA, BSN, RN, NEA-BC | nursing director
Amanda Booth, MSN, RN, CCRN | nursing manager
Tanisha Perry, BSN, RN | nursing director
Stacy Dirks, MSN, RN, NE-BC, CPHQ | nursing manager
Liz Tuttle, MA, BSN, RN, CNOR | nursing manager
Lori Kintz, SHRM-SCP | chief human resource officer, western service area
Mary Howard | human resource business partner
Matt Cecil | labor and employment counsel
February 13, 2024
Dear Providence St. Vincent Nurses,
After nearly 5 months of bargaining, today we held our 10th session with ONA. We are at a critical point in this process.
We have seen the communications that ONA has published around their position on a strike. Here’s our position at Providence St. Vincent:
Strikes don’t lead to contracts. Mediators do. Mediators help us get to common ground, and that helps us get to contracts.
ONA is denying our request to engage in mediation, and at the same time is announcing their path to a strike. Any work stoppage or strike will affect everyone at Providence St. Vincent – patients, caregivers and families. Missing wages during a strike can be significant. It is in everyone’s best interest to engage with a mediator.
ONA reached tentative agreements that ratified contracts with PPMC, OHSU, St. Charles, and other health care systems, through the use of a federal mediator.
We have been asking ONA to engage in federal mediation since November, recognizing that we had significant gaps. At our last session on January 30, ONA let us know that they were maintaining their positions on their wage proposal and today we maintained our position on our proposal on wages. This lack of progress is a clear sign that mediation is needed.
Today we exchanged multiple proposals and reached a Tentative Agreement (TA) on Appendix D-Additional Procedures for Surgical Service Areas.
We will continue to keep you informed as these negotiations progress. Our next bargaining day is February 20, 2024.
ONA
Article 24 Duration and Termination
Letter of Agreement Emergency Department
PSVMC
Article 24 Duration and Termination
Letter of Agreement Emergency Department
Tentative Agreement
Bargaining team:
Elizabeth Paxton, PhD, MSN, RN, NEA-BC | chief nursing officer
David Monego, MBA, BSN, RN, NEA-BC | nursing director
Amanda Booth, MSN, RN, CCRN | nursing manager
Tanisha Perry, BSN, RN | nursing director
Stacy Dirks, MSN, RN, NE-BC, CPHQ | nursing manager
Liz Tuttle, MA, BSN, RN, CNOR | nursing manager
Lori Kintz | chief human resource officer, western service area
Mary Howard | human resource business partner
Matt Cecil | labor and employment counsel
Jan. 31, 2024
Dear Providence St. Vincent Nurses,
January 30th was our 9th bargaining session. During our morning discussion, ONA communicated intent to present counter proposals on Appendix A and a new package related to Articles 8, 17 & 19. In response, we proposed a counter on Article 17 and maintained that Articles 8, 16, and 19 remain together.
Prior to breaking for lunch, more than 60 nurses joined us to observe as ONA presented their economic proposal (Appendix A) and discussed issues related to staffing proposals. Conversations continue to be collaborative and informative, with clarifying questions from both teams. We again proposed the engagement of a federal mediator. ONA responded that before they will agree to mediation, they need to see a clear path towards resolving the contract. We acknowledged that we are both far apart in our economic proposals and shared our philosophy that a mediator will guide us to a path of resolution.
ONA explained that movement in several key areas (contract length, wage/differential increases, staffing, benefits) would create the clear path to resolution that they are seeking. Admittedly we are far apart on wages, staffing and benefits, so we asked if a longer contract proposal (e.g., 3 years) would make mediation agreeable. ONA responded that a longer contract was not enough to engage a mediator.
We believe that the best way forward is to engage a mediator as soon as possible.
Next session on February 13, we will offer our wage proposal and respond to Articles 8 and 19. In the meantime we will review the information requested from ONA around benefits.
Current status on articles:
- Articles awaiting response from ONA – 21.
- Articles awaiting response from St Vincent – 4.
- Tentative Agreements – 9.
- Unopened articles – 8.
Please see proposal tracker for complete list. As usual, we will post details of the exchanges made today on the website, which should be updated by February 1. (Scroll down to see these documents)
Today we also welcome Mary Howard as a new HR Business Partner. Mary is taking over for Maria Bibiano who has transitioned to a new role at PPMC. We look forward to our next bargaining session on February 13.
ONA
Appendix A: Compensation
Article 16: Healthy Work Environment and Staffing
New package: Article 8 Floating, Article 17 Workplace Safety and Technology and Article 19 Reductions in Force and Low Census
PSVMC
Letter of Agreement: Nursing Certifications
Letter of Agreement: Emergency Department
Article 17: Workplace Safety and Technology
Bargaining team:
Elizabeth Paxton, PhD, MSN, RN, NEA-BC | chief nursing officer
David Monego, MBA, BSN, RN, NEA-BC | nursing director
Adrienne McDougal, MN, RN, NEA-BC | nursing director
Tanisha Perry, BSN, RN | nursing director
Stacy Dirks, MSN, RN, NE-BC, CPHQ | nursing manager
Liz Tuttle, MA, BSN, RN, CNOR | nursing manager
Lori Kintz | chief human resource officer, western/southern service areas
Mary Howard | human resource business partner
Matt Cecil | labor and employment counsel
Jan. 9, 2024
Dear Providence St. Vincent Nurses,
As we enter into 2024 we wanted to share where we are with article ownership as of the conclusion of today’s 8th bargaining session with ONA.
Summary:
- Articles with ONA-21
- Articles with PSVMC-5
- Tentative Agreements-9
- Unopened Articles-8
Today we provided our response on wages, which would take effect two pay periods post ratification. We maintained our position on our base wage increases, which includes an average increase of 8.6%. As we have shared before, our philosophy is to be market competitive. This means that our wages are comparable to others; in some cases higher, and in some cases lower. This proposal places us competitively in the market in base pay, leading in most cases.
Below you will find a side-by-side view of how our proposal compares.
Highlights:
- Providence Portland Medical Center- our proposal leads by an average of 2.59%
- Kaiser Permanente- our proposal leads by an average of 9.12%.
- Oregon Health & Science University- our proposal leads by an average of 2.44% for the base rate
- Oregon Health & Science University- our proposal is just behind the BSN rate by an average of 2.30%
We did make a new addition to Appendix A to include a bonus in procedural areas which is intended to address the burden of short notice call needs.
We once again proposed to ONA the engagement of a federal mediator to address economic proposals. We see this as an essential step given how far apart we remain on key components. ONA indicated they are not opposed to mediation and would get back to us.
ONA proposals:
Article 17: Workplace Safety and Technology
Article 7: Employment Status
PSVMC proposals:
Article 17: Workplace Safety and Technology
Article 7: Employment Status
Appendix A: Compensation (package with Article B Clinical Ladder submitted 11/28/23)
We will continue to keep you informed as these negotiations progress.
Bargaining team:
Elizabeth Paxton, PhD, MSN, RN, NEA-BC | chief nursing officer
David Monego, MBA, BSN, RN, NEA-BC | nursing director
Adrienne McDougal, MN, RN, NEA-BC | nursing director
Tanisha Perry, BSN, RN | nursing director
Stacy Dirks, MSN, RN, NE-BC, CPHQ | nursing manager
Liz Tuttle, MA, BSN, RN, CNOR | nursing manager
Lori Kintz | chief human resource officer, western service area
Maria Bibiano | human resource business partner
Matt Cecil | labor and employment counsel
Dec.13, 2023
Dear Providence St. Vincent Nurses,
We met with ONA today for our final session before the contract expires. The collaborative atmosphere continued Tuesday, and we are pleased that we were able to reach a Tentative Agreement (TA) on Article 14- Professional Development. While we have been striving to reach an overall tentative agreement on the contract before the end of the year, we remain far apart on key issues.
Wage philosophy
One important area where we remain far apart is wages. ONA believes Providence St. Vincent should have market-leading wages.
We’ve shared that our philosophy is to be market-competitive. You might be asking “why”?
Increased operating costs are a key contributor to the rising cost of health care. These increased costs impact many things, including the cost of health insurance premiums and patient out-of-pocket expenses.
In alignment with our mission of serving all, especially those who are poor and vulnerable, we are committed to keeping the cost of care down. This is core to who we are. In addition, our local competitors, OHSU and Kaiser, have distinctly different business models – and different revenue streams than Providence.
Our current wage proposal includes an average of 8.5% increases in year 1, keeping us well positioned with market competitive wages.
Looking Forward
Our next session is scheduled for January 9th. We are glad to have added four additional bargaining dates through early March. We believe that the involvement of a federal mediator would support our shared desire to quickly reach an agreement. The sooner we reach an agreement, the sooner you will get your wage adjustments and contract enhancements. Today, ONA shared they aren’t currently interested in mediation, in part because we are too far apart on key issues. We see being far apart as a strong reason to enter mediation.
As usual, we will post details of the exchanges made today on the website, which should be updated by December 14th.
We will continue to keep you informed as these negotiations progress.
ONA
Package proposal:
- Article 8, Floating
- Article 19, Reductions in Force and Low Census
- Request to extend Surgical Services Limited Operations MOU through April 2024
Article 17, Workplace Safety and Technology
PSVMC
Package proposal:
- Article 8, Floating
- Article 16, Healthy Work Environment and Staffing
- Article 19, Reductions in Force and Low Census
Article 17, Workplace Safety and Technology
Tentative Agreement
Article 14, Professional Development
Dec. 5, 2023
**This message was sent on Dec. 4**
Dear Providence St. Vincent Nurses,
Our sixth bargaining session took place today with multiple counterproposals from both ONA and PSVMC. A collaborative atmosphere continued throughout the day. We remain committed to reaching a full agreement with the ONA bargaining team before contract expiration.
Throughout the day we exchanged proposals on the following articles:
From ONA
- Article 7: Employment Status
- Article 14: Professional Development
- Articles 1 & 21 (presented as a package): Recognition and Membership & No Strike/No Lockout
- Appendix A: Compensation
- Letter of Agreement: Certifications
- Article 11: Health and Welfare
- Letter of Agreement: Emergency Department
From PSVMC
- Article 7: Employment Status
- Articles 8, 16 & 19 (package proposal): Floating, Healthy Work Environment and Staffing, Reductions in Force and Low Census
- Article 14: Professional Development
- Article 17: Workplace Safety and Technology
- RN Care Manager Letter of Agreement
We were able to successfully agree to a tentative agreement (TA) on Articles 1 & 21.
We continue to have robust discussions on important topics, such as staffing and workplace safety, and recognize the significance of these topics in our health care setting. We look forward to additional conversations to determine what is appropriate to include in the contract and what is appropriate to address through other avenues.
Our next bargaining session is December 12. ONA provided two additional dates in January, which we accepted. We offered an additional date of December 20 and are awaiting ONA’s response to this, and to our prior request for mediation on key economic topics.
As usual we will post details of these exchanges made today on the website, which should be updated by December 6.
We will continue to keep you informed as these negotiations progress.
Nov. 29, 2023
**This message was sent on Nov. 28**
Dear Providence St. Vincent Nurses,
We had our fifth bargaining session with ONA on Tuesday, November 28. We had another productive day with the ONA bargaining team.
During the morning we asked ONA again whether there was interest in a proposal to convert to Short Term Disability (STD) benefits. The STD benefits we currently offer all other PSV caregivers, at no cost, would significantly improve income replacement for the vast majority of nurses. Providence St. Vincent’s STD benefits provide 8 weeks of 100% income replacement, and then up to 16 more weeks at 66 2/3% (14 more weeks than the state plan provides). ONA shared that over the next several weeks they intend to discuss the potential conversion to STD benefits with you. While we are concerned about the timeline as we closely approach contract expiration, we are heartened to hear that they will be socializing this benefit.
In the afternoon we presented our counter proposal on wages (Appendix A) and a counter proposal to Article 11 (Health and Welfare/Appendix E). Our wage proposal had slight adjustments to our previous proposal increasing the market rate in year one and increasing the ATB in the second year. Our proposal on wages and health care continues to reflect our position to maintain market competitive wages.
Recognizing the contract is almost expired and there continue to be differences between our wage and health care proposals, we suggested to the ONA team today that we bring in a mediator to help. A mediator can facilitate mutual discussions, make alternative solutions on specific contract issues, and guide the parties towards finalizing a contract. We’d like to do this as soon as possible with the goal of reaching agreement before contract expiration on December 31, 2023. We hope to hear from ONA soon on this idea.
As usual we will post details of the exchanges made today on the website, which should be updated by Wednesday the 29th.
As always, we will keep you updated throughout this process. Thank you.
Bargaining team:
Elizabeth Paxton, PhD, MSN, RN, NEA-BC | chief nursing officer
David Monego, MBA, BSN, RN, NEA-BC | nursing director
Adrienne McDougal, MN, RN, NEA-BC | nursing director
Tanisha Perry, BSN, RN | nursing director
Stacy Dirks, MSN, RN, NE-BC, CPHQ | nursing manager
Liz Tuttle, MA, BSN, RN, CNOR | nursing manager
Lori Kintz | chief human resource officer, western service area
Maria Bibiano | human resource business partner
Matt Cecil | labor and employment counsel
ONA Proposals
Article 16: Healthy Work Environment and Staffing
Article 17: Workplace Safety and Technology
Article 19: Reductions in Force and Low Census
Article 14: Professional Development
Article 8: Floating
Article 1: Recognition and Membership and 21: No Strikes or Lockouts (pkg proposal).
PSVMC Proposals
Article 3-A: Vacations
Article 3-B: Paid Time Off
Article 3-C: Scheduling Time Off
Article 6: Holidays
Letter of Agreement: Emergency Department
Article 1: Recognition and Membership and 21: No Strikes or Lockouts (pkg proposal)
Appendix A: Compensation and Appendix B: Clinical Ladder (pkg proposal)
Letter of Agreement Certifications
Article 11: Health and Welfare
Appendix E: Health, Dental and Vision Insurance
Article 14: Professional Development
Article 18: Seniority and Job Posting
Proposals sent by ONA to PSVMC on 11/8/23:
Letter of Agreement: Certification
Article 18: Seniority and Job Posting
Letter of Agreement: Emergency Department
Letter of Agreement: Care Management
Proposals sent by PSVMC to ONA on 11/22/23:
Article 7: Employment Status
Article 9: Leaves of Absence
Article 20: Resource Nurses
Nov. 7, 2023
Dear Providence St. Vincent Nurses,
We had our fourth successful bargaining session with ONA today. We continue to work diligently towards an agreement, with the teams signing six tentative agreements, presenting multiple counters, and new proposals.
Our teams have reached tentative agreements on the following sections of the contract:
- MOU Registered Nurse Meals and Rest Breaks
- MOU Regarding Task Force for EPO Plan Options
- Appendix C Standards of Behavior
- Nine, Ten and Twelve-Hour Schedule Agreements
- LOA on Hiring Preferences for Other Providence Nurses
- LOA - Health Care Unit Restructuring
During negotiations today, we responded with counterproposals on Articles I, Recognition and Membership, II, Equal Employment Opportunity, and provided a proposal on the EP Lab Letter of Agreement.
ONA provided us with counterproposals on Articles I, Recognition and Membership, II, Equality of Employment Opportunity, VII, Employment Status, and XIX, Resource Nurses. We also received ONA’s counter to our wage proposal (Appendix A) and a proposal to Article 11 (Health and Welfare/Appendix E). We are working on responses to present at the next bargaining session on November 28. We encourage you to click the links below to review the proposals.
We are pleased that ONA gave us a counter wage proposal so quickly. This back-and-forth is part of the bargaining process. It keeps both sides moving forward as we remain committed to reaching an agreement for you by the end of the year.
To achieve this goal, we’ve asked for more bargaining dates from ONA, and will work closely with leaders to ensure all members of the ONA bargaining team may attend. ONA has indicated they are reviewing potential dates. Furthermore, we will continue to exchange proposals via email in between bargaining sessions.
As always, we will keep you updated throughout this process. Thank you.
Bargaining team:
Elizabeth Paxton, PhD, MSN, RN, NEA-BC | chief nursing officer
David Monego, MBA, BSN, RN, NEA-BC | nursing director
Adrienne McDougal, MN, RN, NEA-BC | nursing director
Tanisha Perry, BSN, RN | nursing director
Stacy Dirks, MSN, RN, NE-BC, CPHQ | nursing manager
Liz Tuttle, MA, BSN, RN, CNOR | nursing manager
Lori Kintz | chief human resource officer, western/southern service areas
Maria Bibiano | human resource business partner
Matt Cecil | labor and employment counsel
Tentative agreements:
MOU Registered Nurse Meals and Rest Breaks
MOU Regarding Task Force for EPO Plan Options
MOU Retained MOUs, LOAs and Appendices:
*Appendix C - Standards of Behavior
*Nine, Ten and Twelve-Hour Schedule Agreements
*Letter of Agreement - Hiring Preferences for Other Providence Nurses
*Letter of Agreement - Health Care Unit Restructuring
PSV proposals/counterproposals:
Article XII - Retirement (sent via email Nov. 3, 2023)
Article XIV - Professional Development (sent via email Nov. 3, 2023)
Article I - Recognition and Membership
Article II - Equality of Employment Opportunity
EP Lab Letter of Agreement
ONA proposals/counterproposals:
Package proposal
*Article I - Recognition and Membership
*Article II - Equality of Employment Opportunity
*Memorandum of Understanding Election Agreement
Article XI - Health and Welfare/Appendix E (consolidated)
Article XIX -Resource RNs
Article VII - Employment Status
Appendix A - Compensation
Oct. 24, 2023
Dear Providence St. Vincent Nurses,
We had our third session yesterday with Oregon Nurses Association (ONA). This session was a productive half day where both sides exchanged counter proposals on important topics from the last two sessions, as well as new proposals and information.
ONA committed to two additional dates before the end of the year: Dec. 4 and Dec. 12. Additional dates will allow us to work through the 20-plus articles that need to be addressed before December 31, 2023. We shared with ONA that we are willing to be very flexible on additional dates, virtual or in-person sessions, and even weekend bargaining.
We provided proposals on the following articles:
- Article V: Hours of Work
- Article XVI: Healthy Work Environment and Staffing
- Article XIX: Resource Nurses
- Appendix D: Additional Procedures for Surgical Services
We provided a counter proposal to Article XVI – Healthy Work Environment and Staffing. We know that staffing is an important topic, as it affects all of us in one way or another. ONA and others worked diligently on the creation of House Bill 2697, which was recently passed by the Oregon Legislature. There are many changes included in the House Bill, one of which is establishing minimum standards for staffing plans for direct care registered nurses. Because of this newly created law, our counter emphasized our commitment to the new law and did not contain all the content that ONA requested. Providence St. Vincent is already working on an implementation plan that adheres to the law’s timeline. There are several nuances in the law, here is the link to the House Bill: HB 2697 Oregon Legislature hyperlink.
The ONA RN bargaining team presented proposals for the following articles:
- Article III-A-C: Vacations, Paid Time Off, Scheduling Time Off.
- Article XIV: Professional Development
- Article IX: Leaves of Absence
We shared general information with the ONA RN bargaining team about EIT and sick leave balances, the benefits of our Short-Term Disability (STD) program, and we asked whether there was interest in converting to the STD program which we believe benefits more nurses. We will provide a formal proposal if the ONA RN bargaining team expresses an interest in converting to the STD program.
We are committed to keeping you updated throughout this process. Thank you.
Bargaining team:
Elizabeth Paxton, PhD, MSN, RN, NEA-BC | chief nursing officer
David Monego, MBA, BSN, RN, NEA-BC | nursing director
Adrienne McDougal, MN, RN, NEA-BC | nursing director
Tanisha Perry, BSN, RN | nursing director
Stacy Dirks, MSN, RN, NE-BC, CPHQ | nursing manager
Liz Tuttle, MA, BSN, RN, CNOR | nursing manager
Lori Kintz | chief human resource officer, western/southern service areas
Maria Bibiano | human resource business partner
Matt Cecil | labor and employment counsel
PSVMC ONA RN ACCRUAL SNAPSHOT: EIT and Sick Leave
PSV proposals:
Appendix D: Surgical Services
Article V: Hours of Work
Article XVI: Healthy Work Environment & Staffing (PSV counter)
Article XIX: Resource Nurses
ONA proposals:
Article III-A: Vacations
Article XIV: Professional Development
Article IX: Leaves of Absence
Oct. 16, 2023
Dear Providence St. Vincent Nurses,
We had another positive and productive session with Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) bargaining team on Monday, October 16, 2023. We continue to strive to reach an agreement before the current contract expires on December 31, 2023. We provided a strong wage proposal today. Attached is a flyer with more details. Some highlights include:
- A market increase of $1.50 for all steps as well as a 5% wage across-the-board increase in Year 1.
- A 3% across-the-board increase in Year 2.
- Enhancements to the Clinical Ladder program with the addition of a level 5.
In alignment with our stated commitments and philosophy, this significant and market-competitive offer supports our objectives to attract new nurses and retain each of you currently serving at Providence St. Vincent. You can read more in the attached flyer and see a comparison to the contract approved earlier this year by Providence Portland nurses.
We provided initial proposals with minimal suggestions to Article I - Recognition and Membership and Article II - Equal Employment Opportunity. Our counterproposals included Article XVIII – Seniority and Job Posting and Article VII – Employment Status.
ONA provided us with a proposal on Article XVII – Workplace Safety and Technology, which included language around safety and security. This is an important topic, and we appreciate the opportunity to share with the bargaining team the significant work that is currently going on in this area. Our counterproposal to ONA recognized the importance of their concepts, and it articulates our commitment to engaging the Task Force in our ongoing work. ONA also provided us a counterproposal to Article XVI – Healthy Work Environment and Staffing.
We are committed to ongoing updates as bargaining progresses. We look forward to our next negotiation session, which is a half-day session, scheduled for October 23, 2023.
Bargaining team:
Elizabeth Paxton, PhD, MSN, RN, NEA-BC | chief nursing officer
David Monego, MBA, BSN, RN, NEA-BC | nursing director
Adrienne McDougal, MN, RN, NEA-BC | nursing director
Tanisha Perry, BSN, RN | nursing director
Stacy Dirks, MSN, RN, NE-BC, CPHQ | nursing manager
Liz Tuttle, MA, BSN, RN, CNOR | nursing manager
Lori Kintz | chief human resource officer, western/southern service areas
Maria Bibiano | human resource business partner
Matt Cecil | labor and employment counsel
Oct. 16, 2023 PSVMC Bargaining Update: Wage Proposal
PSVMC proposals:
Appendix A: Compensation
Appendix B: Clinical Ladder
Article I: Recognition and Membership
Article II: Equality of Employment Opportunity
Article XVII - Workplace Safety and Technology
ONA proposals:
Article V: Hours of Work
Article XVI: Healthy Environment and Staffing
ONA Article XVIII: Workplace Safety and Technology
Letter of agreement:
Clinical Ladder
9/27/2023
Dear Providence St. Vincent nurses,
We are happy to report that yesterday, Tuesday, Sept. 26, we had our first negotiation session with Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) over the terms of your new contract. Throughout this process, we are committed to regular updates and sharing information with transparency. Please bookmark this page to access proposals we have made so you can review them in detail. (Find links to proposals on this page, below.)
It is our desire to reach an agreement before the current contract expires on Dec. 31, 2023. By working together, we can get this done on time. We have five dates currently scheduled, and we are eager to schedule more before the end of the year.
After initial morning introductions, ONA provided us their first set of proposals. These proposals included floating, staffing, low census, no strike/no lockout. Later in the afternoon they also provided proposals on seniority/job posting and employment status.
In an effort to show our commitment to getting to a tentative agreement, we made a counter proposal that did include a low census cap and modified the floating cluster language. We packaged these changes with our counter proposal on staffing.
Our staffing proposal is focused on Oregon’s Hospital Nurse Staffing Law. ONA was an integral part of developing that law. It establishes minimum staffing levels in most areas of the Medical Center. In addition, it includes mandates around meal and rest breaks. The Medical Center will comply with the requirements of the Hospital Nurse Staffing Law as amended by HB 2697.
We look forward to our next negotiation session, scheduled for Oct. 16.
Bargaining team:
Elizabeth Paxton, PhD, MSN, RN, NEA-BC | chief nursing officer
David Monego, MBA, BSN, RN, NEA-BC | nursing director
Adrienne McDougal, MN, RN, NEA-BC | nursing director
Tanisha Perry, BSN, RN | nursing director
Stacy Dirks, MSN, RN, NE-BC, CPHQ | nursing manager
Liz Tuttle, MA, BSN, RN, CNOR | nursing manager
Lori Kintz | chief human resource officer, western/southern service areas
Maria Bibiano | human resource business partner
Matt Cecil | labor and employment counsel
PSVMC proposals:
PSVMC Package Counterproposal (Articles VIII, XVI, XIX)
ONA proposals:
Article VII: Employment Status
Article VIII: Floating
Article XVI: Healthy Work Environment and Staffing
Article XVIII: Seniority and Job Posting
Article XIX: Reductions in Force and Low Census
Article XX: No Strike/No Lockout
