Oregon Nurses Reach Agreement, Strike Averted At 1 Of 3 Hospitals

PORTLAND, OR — Nurses at Providence St. Vincent Medical Center in Portland reached a tentative agreement on a two-year contract with Providence on Friday, likely averting a strike at the hospital, the Oregon Nurses Association announced Saturday.

St. Vincent nurses authorized the union to call a strike against the health care giant last month, and nurses at Providence Willamette Falls Medical Center and Providence Milwaukie Hospital followed suit Thursday.

The contract must be approved in a vote by St. Vincent nurses, which should occur "in the coming weeks," according to the union. If approved, the contract will take affect immediately.

The agreement does not affect nurses at the other two hospitals. The union represents more than 2,000 nurses between the three hospitals, including 1,600 at St. Vincent Medical Center.

The agreement represents a step forward in improving patient care and safety, raising nurse practice standards, keeping health care affordable and addressing a growing staffing crisis at Providence, the union said.

Among the highlights of the agreement are improved access to personal protective equipment to protect nurses and patients from future COVID-19 outbreaks, an increase in wages up to 14 percent over the next two years and a locked in rate for most health benefit costs with limits on increases in premiums over the term of the contract.

The nurses comprising the union bargaining team at St. Vincent are recommending a yes vote for the agreement, and members will conduct meetings beginning next week to discuss details prior to a vote, according to the union.