Two unions at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) authorized strikes this fall, with one reaching tentative agreement on a contract soon after. Roughly 8,000 OHSU workers represented by American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 328 could strike as early as mid-December.
Local 328 represents workers ranging from custodians and food service workers to physical therapists and pharmacists; their contract expired June 30.
Members authorized a strike in a vote that closed Nov. 18.
Local 328 is seeking raises of 18% or $9 over three years, whichever is higher, and a minimum hourly wage of $27.25 by July 2026. For the one-in-five workers in Local 328 who make less than the Portland-area living wage of $27.47, raises would be more than 32% over three years.
In 2022, Local 328 declared impasse and authorized a strike before agreeing to a contract that gave ratification bonuses and 17% raises over three years.
AFSCME Local 328 President Jennie Olson said the union’s proposal is more ambitious than it was in 2022.
“(It feels) like OHSU is coming to the table as if life now is no different than it was three years ago, when we were last at the bargaining table,” Olson told the Labor Press. “And it’s really different. It’s very different for our members who are struggling.”
In a separate unit, around 700 nurse practitioners, physician associates, and nurse midwives represented by Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) authorized a strike in late October and reached tentative agreement on their first contract a week later. The unit joined ONA in February 2024.
The proposed contract would raise most starting salaries by 30%, give workers a $7,000 ratification bonus, institute maximum annual clinical hours, and guarantee weekly hours for indirect patient care. A ratification vote had not been held as of press time.
ONA also represents more than 3,000 registered nurses at OHSU. Other AFSCME locals at OHSU represent more than 800 medical interns, residents, and fellows; 240 postdoctoral researchers; nearly 400 graduate researchers; and 2,000 biomedical researchers.
