Portland, Ore.

On Saturday, Dec. 15, OHSU nurses accepted the recommendation of their union, ONA/AFL-CIO, to reject the university's contract offer and begin a strike. Here are the details of that offer.

Wages:

    14% increase over 27 months
    6% increase in the first year
    6% increase in the second year
    2% increase in months 25 - 27 (beginning Oct. 6, 2003)

Insurance Dollars:

    $445 employer contribution per month in year one -- the same amount paid to managers and faculty
    $475 employer contribution in year two*

*During the life of the agreement, insurance dollars paid to nurses will be at least equal to the amount paid to managers and faculty

Retirement Benefits: (unchanged from previous offer)
OHSU pays both employee and employer contribution to employees' retirement accounts; totaling about 12 percent.