DEFIANCE – Nurses at ProMedica Defiance Regional Hospital, a local unit of the Ohio Nurses Association (ONA) and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), overwhelmingly ratified a three-year agreement last Thursday with the Hospital.
The agreement includes hard-fought language for salary increases and preservation of benefits, both of which will enhance much needed nurse retention and recruitment efforts.

“Our nurses stood together to fight for a fair contract” said Lisa Grubb, ONA member and Women’s Center nurse. “We know this is about more than just nurses, it is about investing in our community and it was so encouraging to see the outpouring of support from our Defiance community.”

“I’m proud of our members’ commitment to this contract campaign. With so many vacancies here in Defiance, something has to change, and we will continue to hold the Medical Center accountable to our agreement to make that change a reality. This agreement is not only a win for our nurses, but for our patients and our community here in Defiance” stated Deb Good, Recovery Room nurse and Defiance ONA Co-Chair.

The contract includes significant wage increases with an average increase of 14.5% in the first year of the contract and some nurses receiving salary increases up to 28% over the course of 3 years.
The new agreement is effective April 10, 2022 and expires April 9, 2025.

The ONA local unit in Defiance consists of 100 registered nurses.