Nurses at Queen’s ratify new, three-year contract
COURTESY HNA
Unionized nurses, in June 2024, held a “March on the Boss” event to call for fair bargaining practices during negotiations with The Queen’s Health System. The union nurses at The Queen’s Medical Center have voted to ratify a new, three-year contract.
The union nurses at The Queen’s Medical Center have voted to ratify a new, three-year contract.
The Hawaii Nurses Association, which represents more than 1,900 nurses at Queen’s, announced in a news release Wednesday evening that the majority had voted to ratify the agreement. The contract went into effect Wednesday and continues through Jan. 14, 2028.
HNA celebrated the new contract as a victory for patient safety. The Queen’s nurses had been working without a contract since June 30, and negotiating since April.
“This has been a long, nine-month battle for patient safety, and the nurses now can have peace of mind that quality care will be a priority at Queen’s,” said HNA President Rosalee Agas-Yuu in a news release. “The nurses feel much more confident that patients will receive the attention and care they deserve when they are admitted to Queen’s.”
A strike by the nurses at both the Queen’s downtown and West Oahu campuses was averted just hours before it was scheduled to begin at 7 a.m. Monday.
The two parties worked with a federal mediator to iron out the new contract, which includes a nearly 17% wage increase over the three years, in addition to measures that HNA says allow for enforceable staffing ratios.
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HNA did not offer more specific details but said the new contract is expected to lead to improved staffing ratios tailored to the specific needs of each unit, along with enhanced recruitment and retention initiatives and a renewed focus on employee well-being and workload support for registered nurses.
Approximately 160 nurses at Wilcox Medical Center on Kauai, meanwhile, went on strike for a third day this morning after negotiations with their employees reached an impasse Monday.
Nurses there are asking for better nurse-to-patient ratios in the medical-surgical unit – 1 nurse to 5 patients — that they said would match the standards offered at Oahu hospitals.
Wilcox, which is operated by Hawaii Pacific Health, has a temporary workforce filling in while the nurses strike.
Wilcox said it is working with a federal mediator to connect with the nurses before meeting again. HNA said the nurses have agreed to return to the bargaining table after this week.
The nurses at Wilcox have been working without a contract since Aug. 31.
