We've achieved a significant milestone! On February 9, 2024, a tentative agreement was reached with PRMCE after ten months of negotiations and persistent advocacy. This marks a historic moment in our journey towards enhancing staffing levels and prioritizing patient safety.

When negotiations commenced, our primary objective was to address the pressing issues of staffing shortages and patient safety concerns. Over the past few years, the deterioration of our staffing situation went unheeded by PRMCE despite us raising the alarm. Throughout the bargaining process, we ensured that our voices were heard. We talked with our patients and community to highlight the critical nature of our staffing crisis, culminating in the decisive action of a strike.

Following our “NO” vote in December, we returned to the negotiating table with a clear focus on addressing the areas of improvement identified through our survey. Through collective effort, we secured significant victories, including:

• $500 Monthly Staffing Bonus for Understaffing

• Longevity Bonus for Senior RNs

• Night Shift Longevity Bonus

• March 31, 2026 contract reopener

• Extra shift incentive for vacant shifts

• Ratification Bonus for all RNs

• Increases to premiums

• 12 months needed to progress to next wage step

• Year for year for past nursing experience

• Chronic staffing issues can be resolved through binding mediation

• Charge Nurses shall NOT take a patient assignment

• Christmas Eve or December 26 holiday pay for night shift RNs

• 1.5x pay when not scheduled off on a day of significance

• Break relief position will be posted 21 days post ratification

• Discuss implementation plan for break relief nurses in a closed unit

• Weekend pay for Sunday night shift

• EIB may be used on the first day of absence or illness

• Boarder premium pay

• 24 hours of admin pay for Hospital Staffing Committee chairs

• Competitive wage scale 

Let's review the highlights together: Monday, February 12, 2pm-3pm & 7:30pm-8:30pm >>

We’ve had some of the deepest conversations with each other and have come out stronger. On Monday, February 12 we will be holding a Zoom meeting from 2pm-3pm and 7:30pm to 8:30pm to review the highlights of our tentative agreement! We will follow up later this week with vote details.

The ENTIRE RN bargaining team recommends a YES vote!
Julie Bynum, Kristen Crowder, Trevor Gjendem, Kelli Johnson, Carrie Rimel, Stephanie Sausman, Juan Stout