Home health and hospice nurses from St. Charles Health System overwhelmingly voted to form a union with the Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) Dec. 8, in an election supervised by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). The nurses want input in local decision-making because they know what their patients need. By forming a union, they will ensure home health and hospice nurses receive fair treatment, access to due process and adequate compensation and local patients receive high-quality, accessible health care.
“Despite opposition from administration, we remain united in our endeavor and today’s vote reflects that. I look forward to a collaborative and transparent relationship with St. Charles so we can give our patients the best care and nurses will feel supported by the health system,” said Karin Arthur, RN.
“Forming a union provides us the opportunity to better advocate for our patients and ourselves,” said Cherie Iannucci, RN. “We take care of people after they leave the hospital, to prevent them from being readmitted. Readmissions add to the strain that our hospitals face right now due to surging cases of RSV, COVID-19 and the flu.”
In the coming weeks, nurses will establish their bargaining unit bylaws and begin contract negotiation discussions. ONA already represents hospital nurses at St. Charles facilities in Bend, Prineville and Redmond. The contract for nurses at St. Charles – Bend expires at the end of the year and they are already preparing for negotiations.
The Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) is the state’s largest nursing organization. We are a professional association and labor union which represents more than 15,000 nurses and allied health workers throughout the state including nearly 1,200 frontline nurses working at multiple St. Charles Health facilities in Central Oregon. We are a proud state affiliate of AFT and the American Nurses Association. ONA’s mission is to advocate for nursing, quality health care and healthy communities. For more information visit: www.OregonRN.org.
