WHAT: Caregivers from Providence hospitals and clinics in Oregon demand management bargain in good faith and settle contracts with union-represented frontline healthcare workers. Doctors, nurse practitioners, certified nurse midwives, nurses, and physician associates from Providence Women’s Clinics, Immediate Care Clinics, St. Vincent and Medford are bargaining first contracts. At the same time, ONA-represented nurses from Providence hospitals including Providence St. Vincent, Newberg, Hood River, Medford, Willamette Falls and Milwaukie have been bargaining for months and will take part in a rare six-table mediation session with management June 4-7.
WHEN/WHERE:
Thursday, May 30 from 11:00 – 11:45 a.m.
Providence Park, corner of SW 18th & SW Morrison St., Portland
(The press conference will be streamed live on ONA’s Facebook page: www.facebook.com/OregonNursesAssociation)
WHO:
• Virginia Smith, RN, Member of ONA Board of Directors and Chair of ONA’s Providence Willamette Falls Bargaining Unit
• Dr. Charlie Saltalamacchia, OB/GYN, Providence Women’s Clinic
• Piper Sullivan, PA-C, Providence Immediate Care Clinic - Sherwood
• Dr. Jennifer Lincoln, IBCLC, OB Hospitalist, Providence St. Vincent
• Denise Arnold, RN, Chair of ONA’s Providence Newberg Bargaining Team
• Gina Ottinger, RN, Secretary of ONA’s Providence St. Vincent Executive Team
WHY:
Oregon is a hotbed for union organizing and caregivers from Providence facilities are joining in historic numbers. The corporatization of healthcare has left many feeling frustrated and burnt out. They organized to have a voice in institutional decisions that affect patients and caregivers.
Nurses from six Providence hospitals are joining the physicians and advanced practice providers to call attention to their months-long contract negotiations and announce the results of strike authorization votes. In recent weeks, little movement has been made on the nurses’ top priorities of safe staffing, affordable health care, increased paid time off and market wages. ONA filed ULPs alleging the following: refusal to bargain; bargaining in bad faith; unilateral implementation of mandatory subjects, denial of access to employee representatives and retaliation against union leaders. Next week all six facilities with open contracts will take part in a joint table mediation.
The Pacific Northwest Hospital Medicine Association (PNWHMA) was created in 2015 as the first hospitalist-specific labor union in the United States. It has since expanded to represent more doctors and advanced practice providers. PNWHMA is affiliated with AFT Healthcare—the fastest-growing healthcare union in the country. AFT Healthcare represents more than 200,000 members in 100 locals in 18 states and territories.
The Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) represents a diverse community of 18,000 nurses, and healthcare professionals throughout Oregon. Together, we use our collective power to advocate for critical issues impacting patients, nurses, and health care professionals including a more effective, affordable and accessible healthcare system; better working conditions for all health care professionals; and healthier communities. For more information visit www.OregonRN.org.
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