FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 20, 2024
Cincinnati, Ohio – Nurses at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center (UCMC), consisting of 1,500 RNs, represented by ONA and AFT, successfully negotiated a new three-year contract with UCMC executives and ratified by the ONA local unit members on June 18.
“While our nurses are proud of what they were able to achieve with this contract, we remain concerned that unsafe staffing will continue to seriously impact patient care,” Jen Hunt, RN, President of the Registered Nurses Association (RNA) of UCMC. “The new provisions help as we fight to have safe nurse-to-patient ratios and protections from workplace violence in all UCMC patient care units. This is a long battle, but we will not give up until minimum staffing standards are required by law for all Ohio hospitals, including UCMC.”
The newly ratified agreement, approved by the nurse’s majority vote, includes several key provisions for the safety of patients and health professionals, and benefits that will retain and recruit experienced nurses.
• Assurance from the hospital to include increased security measures to protect patients and health professionals from unsafe staffing and workplace violence. This includes security personnel presence 24 hours a day on the three Psychiatry units.
• Guarantee that union work will not be replaced by artificial intelligence (technological advances).
• Improvements to the wage scale to have increases of 8% in the first year, and 3% for the second and third years of the contract.
• Strengthen important working conditions related to leave and holiday time to ensure the hospital is promoting a good work-life balance for nurses. This includes adding 8 hours of PTO per year and recognizing Juneteenth as a holiday.
“This agreement is the result of tremendous unity and determination among UCMC nurses,” said Rick Lucas, BSN, RN, CCRN, ONA President and Executive Director. “Having enforceable safe staffing provisions in place will help protect our nurses’ ability to provide safe patient care and the working conditions that have caused moral injury. This contract, in addition to passing House Bill 285, which would establish legally enforceable staffing standards in all Ohio hospitals, is crucial to the future of healthcare to ensure patients receive the care they need and deserve.”
The new contract is effective July 1, 2024, through June 20, 2027.
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About ONA
Formed in 1904, the Ohio Nurses Association is a powerful network of nurses and health professionals. Our mission is to unite and empower nurses and health professionals, championing their rights, promoting professional practice, and advocating for quality care for all patients in Ohio, while fostering a strong and cohesive professional union community. To learn more or to become a member of the Ohio Nurses Association, visit www.ohnurses.org.
Contact: Michelle Day
Director of Communications & Technology
mday@ohnurses.org