Nurses and Ohio State Wexner Medical Center Reach Tentative Agreement
Agreement comes one day after nurses hold informational picket at medical center
COLUMBUS – The Ohio Nurses Association, the union representing the Ohio State University Nurses Organization (OSUNO), and the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center reached a tentative agreement the afternoon of May 20, 2022. The parties agreed to meet just one day after the nurses held an informational picket at the Medical Center to bring attention to unsettled issues between the nurses and hospital administration, including the need to invest in nurses so experienced nurses remain at the bedside.
The proposed three-year tentative agreement addresses these issues by:
- Guaranteeing across the board wage increases of 7% plus additional market adjustments for most nurses during the first year of the contract
- Guaranteeing 3% across the board wage increases for the second and third year of the contract
- Increases for nurses at the top of the wage scale for the next three years after almost a decade without an increase
- Increasing incentive pay up to 22% for nurses who pick up extra shifts
“Our members actively demonstrated the need for real recruitment and retention efforts from the medical center, including competitive pay. In an era where nurses are leaving the bedside in droves, it is more important than ever OSU listen to the needs of nurses and pay them what they’re worth so together we can break the cycle of short nurse staffing, lengthy ER wait times and potentially unsafe patient care,” stated Rick Lucas, OSUNO president. “I’m proud of our members and their push that ultimately made OSU do the right thing. There is power when nurses come together, and our union is proof.”
The push for competitive pay comes after months of a severe nursing shortage at the Medical Center, with over 750 current nursing vacancies. Since January 2021, OSU Wexner Medical Center has lost two nurses for every one new hire.
The nurses and the Medical Center began negotiations March 1, 2022. OSUNO is a local unit of the Ohio Nurses Association (an affiliate of the AFT) and consists of nearly 4,000 registered nurses.
The nurses will vote on the agreement late next week.
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