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Nurses ratify contract with Community Medical Center in Missoula

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Nurses ratify contract with Community Medical Center in Missoula

Sep 03, 2024 | 6:57 pm ET
By Daily Montanan Staff
Nurses ratify contract with Community Medical Center in Missoula
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Community Medical Center pictured on January 17, 2021.

The Montana Nurses Association and Community Medical Center on Tuesday announced that they have reached agreement on a new contract covering the hospital’s more than 300 registered nurses, which was ratified by its members last week.

Since the negotiations commenced in May, both parties have been focused on reaching a successful conclusion. Conversations at the bargaining table were consistently respectful, productive and forward looking. The contract terms that form the basis of the agreement focus on retaining and recruiting nurses needed to serve the community, addressing industry staffing challenges and supporting the continued delivery of high-quality patient care.

The new three-year contract, says Emily Peterson, MNA Labor Representative, includes:

  • Improved competitive wage increases for both registered nurse base salaries and other differential pay to improve nurse retention
  • Incentives for continuing education, and specialized certifications for nurses wishing to grow professionally
  • New resources and training to combat workplace violence

”The RN bargaining team worked collaboratively with CMC,” said Emily Peterson, labor representative, at the Montana Nurses Association, “with a goal of nurse retention and a focus on safe staffing. The Local 15 officers look forward to continuing to work together to provide the best patient care for the Missoula and surrounding communities.”

“From day one, our leadership team was committed to updating the contract in a way that assured that we could continue providing high quality care to the community, retain our outstanding, seasoned nurses and be a leader in recruiting clinical talent to our team,” said Hollie Nagel, chief nursing officer at Community Medical Center. “We are pleased to have reached an agreement that meets the needs of our staff, the hospital and our community, and we look forward to continuing the positive momentum and further building our culture of respect, appreciation and collaboration within our team.”