Nearly 5,000 nurses are continuing to strike at eight Providence Health & Services hospitals across Oregon after rejecting a tentative agreement in votes counted Feb. 7 and 8. More than 90% of strikers voted, and those voting rejected the Providence proposal by more than 80%.
Oregon Nurses Association said the agreement failed because it did too little to ensure safe staffing levels or make wages competitive to help recruit and retain staff. Members also felt the proposed health benefits were inadequate. The tentative agreement also did not include retroactive pay increases. That was seen as rewarding Providence for stalling; collective bargaining agreements normally include a raise at the beginning of the contract term. Providence also held fast against aligning contract expiration dates, which strikers understood as an attempt to limit union power: Because the contracts have no-strike pledges, staggered expiration dates mean nurses at the different hospitals can’t all strike together until all the contracts expire.
As a result, nurses are now in their sixth week of striking at Providence St. Vincent, Providence Portland, Providence Milwaukie, Providence Willamette Falls, Providence Newberg, Providence Hood River, Providence Seaside, and Providence Medford.
On Feb. 13, Providence emailed striking nurses to inform them that they’ll lose their employer-provided health insurance on February 28.
Strikers have been walking the picket line since Jan. 10.
Several bargaining units did ratify new agreements, but members continue to honor picket lines in solidarity.
A bargaining unit of about 70 doctors at Providence St. Vincent hospital ratified a first contract Feb. 7, but an ONA spokesperson said doctors are continuing to honor nurse strike picket lines, after insisting that their contract recognize the right to do so. The doctors joined Pacific Northwest Hospital Medicine Association in August 2023, and walked out with Providence nurses when they struck on Jan. 10. ONA said their ratified agreement contains wage increases and ratification bonuses, improvements to sick time accrual, and protections against subcontracting.
Two bargaining units at Providence Women’s Clinic that voted to unionize in 2023 also ratified first contracts covering a total of 80 workers and returned to work Feb. 6. ONA said for nurses the agreement contains 4%-20% pay increases, a ratification bonus, and extra pay for evening shifts. For physicians, midwives, and nurse practitioners, it includes raises of 7.5%-15% and protections for physician time.
Scab nurses
Based on online employment ads listing pay packages of $100 an hour, ONA estimates Providence is paying replacement nurses $8,000 per week in wages alone, far more than permanent nurses who are out on strike. Adding lodging and other costs to that, ONA estimates the nonprofit health system could be spending $25 million per week for strikebreakers. The scab nurses are being supplied by a company called U.S. Nursing Corps (USN), which recruits nurses nationwide who are willing to travel to undermine other nurses strikes.
Exactly how much Providence is paying U.S. Nursing isn’t publicly known. But a House bill sponsored by a union nurse would shed some light on the matter. HB 2792, introduced by State Rep. Travis Nelson, would require a hospital to report the amount it spends to recruit, solicit, advertise, and pay for individuals to replace employees involved in a strike or lockout.
Striking nurses turned out Feb. 10 for a hearing on the bill before the Oregon House Labor and Workplace Standards Committee. The bill is about public accountability, ONA executive director Anne Tan Piazza told lawmakers.
“Every year, Oregon’s hospital systems receive hundreds of millions of dollars in public funds, whether through direct state and federal funding, Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements, or tax breaks granted in exchange for their nonprofit status,” Piazza said. “These resources are meant to support patient care, keep hospitals running, and ensure Oregonians have access to the healthcare they need. Yet time and again, we see these same hospitals plead poverty when it comes to investing in their workforce, only to turn around and spend unknown sums on strike preparations and replacement workers in secret.”
Since the strike began, a number of elected officials have called on Providence to negotiate in good faith and settle a contract, including Oregon Governor Tina Kotek, Oregon’s seven Democratic members of Congress, and a number of state legislators.
Portland City Council urges Providence to restart ONA negotiations
Portland City Council voiced support for striking nurses and urged Providence executives to restart negotiations in a Feb. 17 letter to Providence Oregon chief executive Jennifer Burrows and Providence president Erik Wexler.
“As members of the Portland City Council, we stand with the thousands of healthcare professionals currently on strike, fighting for the fundamental rights and protection they deserve,” said the letter, which was signed by 11 of the 12 council members. The 12th, Councilor Eric Zimmerman, had sent his own letter to Providence executives on Feb. 12 expressing concern about the actions of Providence leadership during negotiations and the strike.
Nurses represented by the Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) at eight Providence hospitals rejected proposed contracts more than a week earlier.
“This vote is a resounding call for Providence leadership to do better,” the city councilors wrote. “Portland’s nurses have given everything to their patients. Providence, you have the chance to step up and show that you value your workers in return.”
