Nurses Hold Strike Vote At 2 Providence Hospitals In Portland Area

PORTLAND, OR —Nearly 500 nurses at two Providence hospitals are voting now to authorize a strike against the hospitals' parent company, Providence Health & Services, the Oregon Nurses Association said Monday.

Nurses at Providence Milwaukie Hospital and Providence Willamette Falls Medical Center will vote on the issue until June 2, the union said.

About 1,600 nurses have already voted to authorize a strike against sister hospital Providence St. Vincent Medical Center, which is also owned by Providence Health & Services.

At issue are stalled talks over renewing contracts between Providence and the union in each of the three hospitals.

"We want to go to work, but we need to be safe for nurses and patients," union spokesman Kevin Mealy told Patch. "Nurses' goal is to reach a fair contract agreement that improves patients' heath care, raises staffing standards and ensures Providence invests in our communities so we can give Oregonians the care they need."

Gary Walker, a Providence spokesman, called the strike votes "disappointing."

"At a time when we believe real progress is being made, it's unfortunate that this vote will take time and energy away from the bargaining process," Walker said.

"Again, since contracts are settled at the bargaining table and not in the streets, we encourage the union to avoid a costly strike for our nurses," Walker said.

Each hospital has its own contract with the union, but they share similar issues: The nurses union seeks larger staffs, higher pay and safer working conditions, the union said.

Providence Milwaukie Hospital's contract, which covers 239 nurses, expires on May 31. Providence Willamette Falls Medical Center's contract, which covers 233 nurses, expired in September, and nurses there have worked without a contract since then.

Since September, the union and Providence Willamette Falls have had 17 negotiating sessions, Walker said. Starting with Wednesday's session, a federal mediator will oversee the talks.

Meanwhile, union representatives and Providence Milwaukie Hospital will next meet Thursday and twice again in June, Walker said.

Mealy said that by not providing adequate nursing levels, Providence is making things costly for patients.

"Patients are in danger when five call lights [are] flashing, and there's only one nurse to care for them, when we're forced to guess who's the real emergency and who isn't," Mealy said. "Patients are in danger when a new [graduate] who's barely set foot on a hospital floor is forced to care for 12 or more patients on the night shift with no backup. That's the real danger."

Even if nurses vote to authorize a strike, that does not mean a strike will happen. The union will have to give Providence 10 days notice before a strike actually begins.

If that happens, both hospitals will turn their focus to "preparing to serve our patients and return to negotiations after the strike," Walker said.

"Continued access to high-quality care remains our highest priority," Walker said. "We have a comprehensive plan that ensures the delivery of that care to the communities who rely on us, even if nurses choose to walk out. Our hope is that everyone willl continue to bargain in good faith."