(McMINNVILLE, Ore.) – The 130 frontline nurses at Willamette Valley Medical Center (WVMC) voted to approve a new contract March 14. The three-year agreement will improve safety for patients and providers, enhance caregiver recruitment and retention, and strengthen the hospital’s ability to serve its community. 

Registered nurses at WVMC are represented by the Oregon Nurses Association (ONA). 

“This agreement is a victory for nurses and patients throughout the Willamette Valley. This is our community’s hospital. Nurses fought for this contract because this is our home—we treat our families, friends and neighbors here and we want our care to be the best it can be,” said Katie Quinlan, a registered nurse at Willamette Valley Medical Center and ONA bargaining team member. “Together, we’ve worked to ensure fair wages, improve safety and provide competitive benefits so the hospital can recruit, retain and sustain the caregivers our community counts on. This agreement establishes a strong foundation we can continue building on to create a brighter future for our hospital and our community.”

The agreement includes key provisions that will benefit local patients and healthcare workers, including:

Competitive Wage Increases between 28-32% over the next three years to help recruit and retain the skilled, compassionate nurses our community depends on and ensure local patients receive the highest standards of care.
Stronger Safety & Security Protections that improve incident reporting, response and staffing to prevent workplace violence and create a safe environment for providers, patients and their families. 
Guarantees on Health Insurance and Retirement which cap premium increases at 9% annually to make healthcare more affordable for nurses and their families and a competitive retirement contribution match to keep caregivers at WMVC for the duration of their careers.  
Throughout negotiations, nurses emphasized these improvements will raise standards for patients and enhance their community’s quality of care. By securing this new contract, nurses can now focus on what matters most—caring for patients.

The nurses at WVMC are deeply grateful to the community for its steadfast support for providers throughout the bargaining process. Our combined efforts have helped ensure WVMC remains a place where patients can go to receive top-quality care from dedicated, experienced nurses.

Nurses previous contract expired Sept. 24, 2024. The new agreement is in effect until June 23, 2027.

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March 17, 2025