Ascension Nurses Ratified Three-Year Contract

Nurses at two Wichita hospitals approved a new deal featuring pay raises and safety improvements.

Updated on Oct. 14, 2026 in Nursing Jobs

Ascension Nurses Ratified Three-Year Contract

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Nurses at Via Christi St. Francis and St. Joseph in Wichita ratified a three-year contract on Wednesday. The agreement follows a strike in July and includes significant wage increases and new protections for staff.

Why it matters

The deal addresses long-standing nurse concerns regarding workplace violence and patient safety. It aims to stabilize the local workforce by providing improved staffing levels and compensation packages.

The new three-year contract provides nurses with a 17% to 24% pay increase. It includes provisions for safe staffing and workplace violence prevention measures.

The players

Ascension

Ascension is a large non-profit Catholic health system that operates hospitals and care centers across the United States.

Via Christi St. Francis

Via Christi St. Francis is a major hospital campus located in Wichita, Kansas.

Via Christi St. Joseph

Via Christi St. Joseph is a healthcare facility and hospital campus serving the Wichita area.

The details

Nurses at the Via Christi St. Francis and St. Joseph facilities reached the agreement after participating in a strike this past July. In addition to higher wages, the contract adds paid holidays to the existing benefits package.

July 2026: Nurses participated in a strike over safety and violence concerns.
October 14, 2026: Nurses voted to ratify the new three-year labor agreement.
October 2029: The current contract is set to expire.

Market Landscape

This agreement reflects a wider industry shift toward collective bargaining among healthcare professionals seeking to address staffing shortages. It positions the hospital system to stabilize operations by meeting labor demands common in the current competitive nursing market.

Patients at Via Christi hospitals may experience increased stability as staff recruitment and retention improve under the new terms. These changes are intended to ensure consistent care quality and safety protocols remain in place for the community.

The takeaway

This agreement marks a significant resolution to labor tensions that disrupted local hospital operations earlier this year. Readers should note that healthcare contracts increasingly emphasize non-monetary protections like safety protocols alongside base compensation.