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Montana Nurses Association: Support nurses in union contract, at legislature – Daily Montanan

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Montana Nurses Association: Support nurses in union contract, at legislature – Daily Montanan


Some 650 nurses at St. Patrick Hospital in Missoula are entering mediation on a union contract a labor leader said will shape the hospital’s ability to care for patients going forward.

“This contract negotiation is really going to be telling on the future of St. Pat’s as we know it,” said Cassidy Dillon, a registered nurse and bargaining team member for the Montana Nurses Association Local 17, in a phone call Tuesday.

The COVID-19 pandemic dealt blows to the healthcare industry, and Dillon said St. Pat’s has been “tremendously affected” since 2020.

First-year turnover rates for nurses are 20 to 30% mainly because the professionals cannot establish roots in Missoula, Dillon said. The health care workers face high property taxes and rising housing costs.

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“They have been priced out of Missoula,” Dillon said.

St. Patrick Hospital is part of the Providence system, which operates in 51 hospitals and 1,000 clinics in five states, according to its website.

St. Patrick’s Director of Communications Stacy Rogge said in an email the hospital has been negotiating with the union since Jan. 16, and 12 bargaining sessions are scheduled through March.

“We are glad to be back at the table this week,” Rogge said in an email. She also praised the mediation process ahead. “Federal mediators help find common ground, and having them involved throughout the remainder of the bargaining process will accelerate our path to agreement.”

Dillon said as the Local 17 enters mediation at St. Pat’s on its first contract negotiation since 2020, nurses are hoping the result will be a plan that brings stability to patients for the next 10 years.

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In negotiations, she said nurses are focused on recruitment and retention; keeping nurses local; safe staffing ratios; and reducing workplace violence.

To support its industry, the Montana Nurses Association also has pushed for change at the legislature in the past and will continue to do so, said Robin Haux, labor program director for the Montana Nurses Association.

Recruitment and retention

Dillon said nurses want to stay in Missoula, but at least one-in-five leaves in their first year here because of financial constraints.

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“If we have nurses constantly coming and going in this revolving door, your loved one isn’t going to have those experienced nurses to take care of them,” Dillon said.

Starting pay for a nurse in Missoula is $31.60, or $65,728 a year based on a 40-hour week.

That’s close to the median household income in the county of $66,840, but it’s much less than starting pay for a nurse at a Providence hospital just a couple of hundred miles away.

For example, a nurse who works in Spokane for Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center earns $41.13 an hour, or 30% more than a starting nurse in Missoula, according to labor contracts.

That amounts to $20,000 more annually in Spokane based on working 40 hours a week.

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Dillon said the nurses are precluded from discussing the details of their contract negotiations, but base pay is always a consideration.

Rogge offered another data set.

Citing Becker’s Hospital Review, she said annual hospital nurse turnover rate in December 2023 was 22.5%. However, she said St. Pat’s turnover rate “is much lower” at 15% — and has been improving the last several years.

“Providence St. Patrick Hospital is committed to reaching agreement on a fair contract that will help us recruit and retain the best nurses while staying true to our mission of sustainably serving all members of our community,” Rogge said.

She also said negotiations have been positive and productive so far.

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“While many dynamics impact nurse turnover, no one solution can resolve it,” Rogge said. “We are proud of the progress we are making and are committed to focusing on this issue.”

Dillon said St. Pat’s is “pretty good” at listening to nurses about how to fill staffing holes, and it is relying less on expensive traveling nurses than it did in the past. However, she also said local employees have been frustrated about the expenditure on outside nurses.

“Why not take that money and invest in us?” Dillon said is the sentiment among nurses.

She said the current contract negotiation is the most “involved” one St. Patrick Hospital has had in a long time. She said a mediator arrives Wednesday.

“We live to serve our community,” Dillon said. “We want to stay here. We want to continue to better our community. But again, we need Providence to invest in us. And right now, they’re not showing us that.”

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Violence against nurses, staffing standards

Patient and nurse safety are also a priorities for the nurses, and the union is advocating for input in staffing ratios in the new contract and may lobby for related legislation in 2025, the nurses said.

Dillon said violence against nurses is prevalent, and it usually occurs when a patient is not of sound mind or delirious and attacks a nurse physically, verbally or sexually. She said nurses and St. Pat’s are updating policies to better protect nurses.

“We’re making headway,” Dillon said.

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In an email, St. Pat’s Rogge said the hospital has a record of supporting nurses.

“We have a long history of collaborating with Montana Nurses Association on contracts that advance the nursing practice, are market competitive, and meet the needs of our nurses and our ministry,” Rogge said.

During the 2023 Montana Legislature, lawmakers passed House Bill 590, which requires health care employers to ensure workers who experience violence report incidents to the provider. If the worker consents, the employer must report to law enforcement.

The bill, sponsored by Great Falls Republican Rep. Ed Buttrey, also calls for the Department of Justice to produce an annual report based on reports from health care employers.

Haux said felony penalties exist for attacking police officers, K-9 officers and referees, but not for nurses, although she said the union will take direction from members on how to proceed at the upcoming legislature on any lobbying efforts.

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However, she said the Montana Nurses Association may push for another version of House Bill 568, which was tabled last session but would have set nursing-patient standards for hospitals. She said such standards result in better outcomes for patients.

She said ratios and standards vary depending on a hospital’s location — in a rural place versus urban, for example — and based on a department’s needs and patient acuity.

But Dillon said as St. Pat’s addresses those ratios in Missoula, nurses want to be part of the conversation. She said they want to offer more input into safe staffing standards and are asking for it in contract negotiations.

“Patient safety and positive patient outcomes are our primary goals,” Dillon said.

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Montana Lottery Powerball, Lotto America results for March 4, 2026

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The Montana Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at March 4, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from March 4 drawing

07-14-42-47-56, Powerball: 06, Power Play: 4

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

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Winning Lotto America numbers from March 4 drawing

33-38-39-47-51, Star Ball: 07, ASB: 02

Check Lotto America payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Big Sky Bonus numbers from March 4 drawing

01-07-08-27, Bonus: 12

Check Big Sky Bonus payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Powerball Double Play numbers from March 4 drawing

05-10-26-53-59, Powerball: 06

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Check Powerball Double Play payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Montana Cash numbers from March 4 drawing

03-04-06-08-10

Check Montana Cash payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from March 4 drawing

12-13-36-39-58, Bonus: 03

Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.

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Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

When are the Montana Lottery drawings held?

  • Powerball: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
  • Mega Millions: 9 p.m. MT on Tuesday and Friday.
  • Lucky For Life: 8:38 p.m. MT daily.
  • Lotto America: 9 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
  • Big Sky Bonus: 7:30 p.m. MT daily.
  • Powerball Double Play: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
  • Montana Cash: 8 p.m. MT on Wednesday and Saturday.
  • Millionaire for Life: 9:15 p.m. MT daily.

Missed a draw? Peek at the past week’s winning numbers.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Great Falls Tribune editor. You can send feedback using this form.



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University of Montana president job draws high interest • Daily Montanan

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University of Montana president job draws high interest • Daily Montanan


The search for a new University of Montana president has drawn more than 60 applicants, according to a spokesperson for the Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education.

“We do not have an exact count at this time, as several applications are still being completed and additional submissions are expected,” said spokesperson and Deputy Commissioner Galen Hollenbaugh in an email earlier this week.

In January, then-UM-President Seth Bodnar announced his resignation to pursue other public service. Wednesday, the final day of filing, he announced he was running as an independent for the U.S. Senate to try to unseat Republican incumbent Steve Daines.

Commissioner of Higher Education Clayton Christian earlier said that with the advice of AGB Search, a firm that’s helped the Montana University System conduct other executive searches, he would undertake an expedited process to appoint a new president.

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Christian has been providing brief updates on a website dedicated to the search. Last week, he said he and AGB Search are reviewing applications, and the pool of candidates was “strong and diverse.”

The commissioner also announced he was convening a small working group to assist in the search, members who “represent a variety of perspectives to assist in vetting and narrowing this field of exceptional candidates.”

In an email this week, Hollenbaugh identified the members of the working group who are assisting Christian with application review as:

  • Community member and former Regent Joyce Dombrouski
  • Faculty Senate Chairperson Valerie Moody
  • Staff Senate President Dominic Beccari
  • Administration Representative John DeBoer (Vice President of Academic Affairs)
  • ASUM (Associated Students of the University of Montana) President Buddy Wilson

Hollenbaugh declined to comment on the way the rest of the process would unfold or the role the working group members would play.

Christian earlier said he anticipated an appointment within one to three months, or as soon as early this month.

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Montana Supreme Court allows ballot measure on initiative process to move forward

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Montana Supreme Court allows ballot measure on initiative process to move forward


HELENA — The Montana Supreme Court has ruled in favor of a proposed ballot measure intended to simplify the process for introducing ballot measures in the future.

Justices ruled 5-2 that the measure, currently called Ballot Issue #8, did not violate state requirements that a single constitutional amendment can’t make multiple separate changes to the Montana Constitution.

“We’re very grateful to the Montana Supreme Court for agreeing with us that the attorney general’s finding of legal insufficiency for Ballot Issue #8 was incorrect,” said SK Rossi, a spokesperson for Montanans Decide, the group sponsoring the measure.

Montanans Decide argues the Montana Legislature has passed laws making it harder for the public to propose and pass ballot issues. The Montana Constitution already guarantees the people the right to pass laws and amendments through ballot measures, but Ballot Issue #8 would expand that to include a right to “impartial, predictable, transparent, and expeditious processes” for proposing those measures. It would seek to prevent “interference from the government or the use of government resources to support or oppose the ballot issue.”

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Attorney General Austin Knudsen’s office argued the measure “implicitly amended” multiple provisions in the state constitution, including by limiting the “power and authority of public officials to speak officially on ballot issues that affect those officials’ public duties” and by putting restrictions on judges and on the Legislature. Montanans Decide, the group sponsoring Ballot Issue #8, disagreed – and the majority of justices sided with them.

“Its provisions operate together to define and protect a single constitutional right—the people’s exercise of initiative and referendum,” wrote Justice Katherine Bidegaray in the majority opinion. “They are closely related components of one constitutional design.”

Bidegaray’s majority opinion was joined by Justices Jim Shea, Laurie McKinnon, Beth Baker and Ingrid Gustafson.

Chief Justice Cory Swanson and Justice Jim Rice each wrote dissenting opinions, saying they would have upheld Knudsen’s decision to disallow Ballot Issue #8. Rice said the language restricting government interference with a ballot issue was not closely related and should have been a separate vote. Swanson agreed with Rice and said the measure’s attempt to fix a timeline for legal cases surrounding ballot measures was also a separate substantial change.

In a statement, Chase Scheuer, a spokesperson for Knudsen’s office, reacted to the decision.

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“This decision only further muddies the courts’ jurisprudence on ballot issue questions,” he said. “This initiative would violate the separate vote requirement by amending multiple parts of the Montana Constitution, but the court contradicted its prior rulings. Attorney General Knudsen will continue to neutrally apply the separate vote requirement in his review of ballot initiatives.”

The court’s decision means that Knudsen’s office will now need to approve ballot language for Ballot Issue #8. Once that language is finalized, Montanans Decide could begin gathering signatures to qualify the measure for the November ballot.

However, last year, sponsors of another initiative went to the Supreme Court to argue that the ballot statements Knudsen prepared were misleading. If Montanans Decide object to their ballot statements, that could further delay signature gathering while the case plays out in court.

“Regardless, we’re going to push as hard as we can to get those petitions into the hands of voters and let them sign and support if they so choose,” said Rossi.

Rossi said the legal battle this measure has gone through – and the possibility of more to come – shows why Ballot Issue #8 is needed.

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“The state Legislature, and also statewide elected officials, have taken every opportunity to create burdens and hurdles and rigamarole for campaigns to get through in order to just get to the signature gathering phase, and then to get through the signature gathering phase onto the ballot, and then get through the election phase,” said Rossi. “The reason we filed this initiative is just to make sure that the process is simple, that the timeline is clear, and that Montanans can have their will heard when they want to propose and pass laws that they deem worthy.”





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