PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) -- A tentative contract between nurses and Providence St. Vincent hospital in Portland has been knocked down after nurses voted against it.
The Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) announced the nurses voted against the tentative agreement late Thursday morning a day after the tentative agreement was reached with Providence St. Vincent following a month of negotiations.
The strike vote authorized by nurses against St. Vincent is one of three in the Portland area, citing unfair labor practices and below-market compensation.
In a statement shared to KOIN 6 News, Jennifer Burrows, an RN and chief executive at Providence St. Vincent Medical Center said that leadership teams for both St. Vincent and ONA "now look forward to returning to the bargaining table. Using the federal mediator who helped us come up with the current proposed contract, we hope to quickly work through our differences to draft a contract the represented nurses of Providence St. Vincent will approve.
"Over the past eight months, Providence St. Vincent Medical Center has been working with ONA to deliver a fair pay and benefits package to our nurses. We are committed to ensuring our valued nurses receive a fair pay and benefits package. I remain confident we will get through these trying times and we will continue to serve our community - together. Thank you for all that you do as we move forward."
KOIN 6 News has reached out to ONA for more information.
More to come. Stay with KOIN 6 News as this story develops.
