Nurses At 2 More Providence Hospitals Authorize Strike

OREGON CITY, OR — The nurses at Providence Willamette Falls Medical Center and Providence Milwaukie Hospital authorized their union, the Oregon Nurses Association, to call a strike against the two hospitals, the union announced Thursday night.

The votes were nearly unanimous, the union said.

Nurses at Providence St. Vincent Medical Center, who are represented by the same union, authorized a strike in a vote last month.

Before a strike actually happens, the union has to provide the hospitals with 10 days' notice. The union said that notice could be sent out as early as Friday.

At issue are contracts between the union and Providence Health & Services, which operates all three hospitals. The union said that Providence is underpaying the nurses and not doing enough to recruit new staff, which leaves nurses overworked and endangers the health of patients. The company denied that, saying that it has made a fair offer and that the health of patients is not at risk.

The contracts covering nurses at Providence Willamette Falls Medical Center and Providence St. Vincent Medical Center expired last year. The contract at Providence Milwaukie Hospital expired last month.

The union represents more than 2,000 nurses at the three hospitals: 239 at Providence Milwaukie Medical Center, 233 at Providence Willamette Falls Medical Center and 1,600 at Providence St. Vincent Medical Center. It said that bargaining teams at the three hospitals have met a combined 45 times over the last seven months.

The strike votes "are to protest Providence's illegal unfair labor practices and to demand fair contracts which improve patient care, raise nurse staffing standards, make health care more affordable and address Providence's growing staffing shortage," union officials said in a statement.

For its part, Providence Health & Services said, "While we think it is premature and are disappointed by ONA's strike authorization votes, we are eager to continue dialogue with ONA as we work to find mutually agreeable solutions," according to spokeswoman Lisa Helderop.

"Since contracts are settled at the bargaining table, we encourage the union to avoid a costly strike for our nurses," she added.

"Every day, nurses are forced to care for twice as many patients as is considered safe," said Peggy Ellis, president of the union executive committee at Providence Milwaukie Hospital. "We’re standing up for Oregonians and striking for safety. We won’t settle for anything less. Oregon patients and their families deserve safe, high-quality, affordable and accessible health care."

If the nurses walk out, the hospitals said they are ready. "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," Helderop said.