Members of the Montana Nurses Association Local 5 have voted to reject a proposed collective bargaining agreement covering registered nurses at St. James Hospital in Butte, Mont.
The local represents 143 registered nurses at the hospital. Ninety-five percent of voting members rejected the proposal, according to an Aug. 18 union news release shared with Becker’s.
The vote comes amid negotiations that began in March.
Nurses said their priorities in bargaining include retention of experienced nurses in Butte, recruitment and compensation, according to the release.
“We are committed to going back to the table to secure a contract our nurses will support,” a member of the union’s bargaining team said in the release. “We look forward to mediation and believe it provides an important opportunity to find a path toward a fair and ratifiable agreement.”
St. James Hospital said it remains committed to the bargaining process and to working with the union toward a new agreement.
“We value our nurses and the important work they do every day for our patients and community,” the hospital said in a statement shared with Becker’s. “We look forward to returning to the bargaining table with the goal of reaching an agreement that supports our caregivers while also meeting the long-term needs of our patients, our community, and our hospital.”
The union said it hopes to return to the bargaining table within the next two weeks with a mediator.
St. James is part of Salt Lake City-based Intermountain Health, a nonprofit system with 34 hospitals and about 400 clinics across Utah, Idaho, Nevada, Colorado, Montana and Wyoming.
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