Union Hospital Nurses Ratify New Contract with the Hospital

Dover, Ohio –– Nurses at Union Hospital – Cleveland Clinic, consisting of 200 RNs, represented by ONA and AFT, successfully negotiated a new three-year contract with Union Hospital executives and ratified by the ONA local unit members on June 21.
 
“While our new contract provides us with some much needed changes, Union Hospital executives still refuse to commit to a contract that values patients over profits,” said Amy Jo Riley, RN, President of Union Hospital Nurses Association. “The need of having safe staffing ratios in our hospital is dire. Being able to provide the care that our patients need and deserve is an absolute necessity.”
 
The newly ratified agreement, approved by the nurse’s majority vote, includes several key provisions and benefits that will retain and recruit experienced nurses. The provisions include:

A commitment from the hospital to collaborate with the ONA local nurses to address staffing levels and guidelines across all patient care units.

Improvements to the wage scale to bring nurses’ pay closer to the market to attract and retain skilled nurses.

Two retirement plans that are available to more people in the bargaining unit.

 
“The nurses at Union Hospital fought hard to have enforceable safe staffing standards in their contract, but hospital executives have yet again failed at their most basic responsibility to ensure the safety of patients and health professionals,” said Rick Lucas, BSN, RN, CCRN, ONA President and Executive Director. “This situation highlights the urgent necessity for a legislative solution, as hospital executives continually turn a blind eye to critical safety concerns. Without enforceable minimum staffing standards in this contract and in all Ohio hospitals, patient and staff safety remains in jeopardy.”
 
The new contract is effective June 29, 2024 – June 28, 2027.

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