Contract includes increased wages, new position to aide with patient service
COLUMBUS – The Ohio State Wexner Medical Center transplant coordinator nurses belonging to the Ohio Nurses Association unanimously ratified a new three-year contract on October 18, 2017.
The nurses, who provide excellent service to patients in need of organ transplants, have been operating on an expired contract with the medical center since 2016. Negotiations for the contract began several months ago, with the nurses gaining several positive provisions, including:
- A move from strictly merit-based pay, with most nurses receiving a 10% pay increase over the life of the contract. With the new contract, each nurse will receive a guaranteed 2% increase in the first year and a 1% increase for the second and third year. On top of that, nurses may receive an additional 2% to 2.5% increase after their annual evaluation. The pay increase will be retroactive to September 1st, 2017.
- A market-adjusted wage scale that increases the first and last steps of the wage range by approximately $4 per hour.
- An increase in on-call pay from $3.20 to $3.50 per hour.
In addition to the provisions affecting wages, the contract also includes language that would create a Lead/Charge nurse position – a common position in nursing units that the transplant unit lacked. Transplants at the medical center have increased significantly over the past several years. The lead/charge nurse position would support the increased workload and be a resource for the nurses, allowing the coordinators to continue to provide excellent patient service.
“There was a lot of work that went into this contract and overall, we’re happy with the results. The contract was in need of revision, especially in terms of making wages more equitable for the transplant coordinators. Not only was the wage range adjusted to match the market, but now years of experience is clearly defined in the contract, helping to fairly place newly hired nurses on the wage range,” says Susan Montgomery, MSN, RN, member of the negotiating committee.
The transplant coordinator unit consists of 34 registered nurses. The Ohio Nurses Association also represents over 3,500 other nurses at the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center.
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Contact: Molly Homan, Director of Marketing and Communications
614-448-1041, [email protected]