Nurses at QNHCH have signed a fresh labor agreement
A three-day nurses' strike at Queen's North Hawai'i Community Hospital, scheduled for Monday, has been averted. The nurses ratified a new three-year contract that promises improved nurse-to-patient staffing ratios and wages more closely aligned with their colleagues at Queen's O‘ahu facilities.
The contract, ratified by an overwhelming majority of the hospital’s roughly 100 nurses on August 15, 2025, was presented by hospital management on August 7 and took effect immediately upon ratification. Nurses had been working without a contract since the end of March 2025, and the new agreement ends a negotiation period that started in mid-December 2024.
The improvements reflect a commitment from Queen's Health Systems to address staffing safety and wage fairness. Mandy Vega, the lead negotiator, described the ratification as an "inspiring and historical victory." The new contract also reflects the value and care the nurses provide to their community, according to Vega.
The key details of the contract are: - Duration: Three years - Improved safe nurse-to-patient staffing ratios - Wage increases to bring Queen's North Hawai'i nurses' pay closer to their colleagues on O‘ahu
The agreement reached demonstrates a shared commitment between the hospital and the nurses to advance nursing practices and promote quality patient care for the North Hawaii community. QNHCH president Stephany Vaioleti expressed that they deeply value their nurses and the critical role they play in caring for the community.
The nurses' primary focus was to obtain better nurse-to-patient staffing ratios, but no new information was provided about the specific terms of the new three-year contract or the nurse-to-patient staffing ratios in the new contract. However, the nurses also sought benefits and wages more aligned with those of Queen's two Oahu facilities in Punchbowl and Ewa Beach.
This outcome was welcomed as a positive development for patient care and community health services on Hawai‘i Island. Vega described the ratification as a triumph for the nurses, the hospital, and the community, marking a significant step forward in ensuring safe and quality care for patients in North Hawaii.
