Historic Strike Involving Thousands of Oregon Healthcare Workers Comes to an End
started on January 10ended.
On Monday evening, eight registered nurse bargaining units voted overwhelmingly to ratify their contracts and end the strike, which was considered the largest strike involving health care workers and the first involving doctors in state history, according to the Oregon Nurses Association (ONA), which represented the workers.
Among the key provisions of the contracts were that nurses will receive salary increases ranging from 20 to 42 percent over the life of the contract, with an immediate increase of 16 to 22 percent upon ratification, and that patient acuity will be considered in staffing plans.
“As registered nurses, we believe these contracts will lead to greater recruitment and retention of front-line nurses as salaries become more in line with other health systems, and we have staffing language that will allow us to spend more time with the patients who need care the most,” Virginia Smith, RN, of Providence Willamette Falls in Oregon City, who was the head of the ONA bargaining unit, said in a statement.
In emailed remarks, the health system noted that “Providence Oregon is pleased that union-represented nurses at Oregon’s eight hospitals voted to approve new contracts and end their strikes.” We recognize the challenges faced over the past 6 weeks and are proud of these agreements which address issues that union negotiating teams identified as priorities during negotiations.
“We are grateful to the Providence Ministries and union bargaining teams for their collaborative work to find common ground,” the health system added. “We look forward to working cooperatively to find sustainable solutions to Oregon’s future health needs.”
Ending the strike was not without difficulties.
Earlier this month, hospitalists at Providence St. Vincent Medical Center in Portland voted unanimously in favor of their own contract. However, they also expressed solidarity with their colleagues, who rejected either Providence’s latest offer or a tentative agreement with the health system.
“While there are always more changes to advocate for, this contract is a big step in the right direction and establishes a solid foundation on which to build to ensure continued quality care for our community and quality of life for our members,” Jahnavi Chandrashekar, MD, an internist at Providence St. Vincent and member of the negotiating team, said at the time. “This means that when we return to work, we will have a safer staff, be able to better recruit and retain hospitalists, and spend more time with our patients.” But for now, we will continue to hold the picket line until the nurses who work alongside us also get the contract they deserve.
The strike had attracted the attention of state leaders.
In late January, the ONA and Providence Oregon issued a joint statement, noting that at the request of Oregon Governor Tina Kotek (D) they “agreed to have representatives from both parties resume intensive in-person mediation…with the goal of ending this strike.”
“Both parties are working to resolve this dispute as quickly as possible and get people back to work,” the statement added.
The group of striking health care workers included primarily nurses, but also included doctors, nurse practitioners, medical associates and nurse midwives.
“We’ll stay here as long as it takes,” said Jennifer Lincoln, MD, an obstetrician-gynecologist at Providence St. Vincent. Page Med today the first day of the strike.
“Doctors, nurses, all of us united on this scale, it’s unprecedented,” Lincoln said. “It’s us taking back our power so we can do what’s best for patients. Our voices matter.”
At the time, she also spoke about the importance of the doctors’ strike for the first time in Oregon’s history, emphasizing that “we must uphold our oath to care for our patients and, first, not harm them.”
