Nearly 2,000 nurses and clinicians at Providence facilities across Oregon have given a 10-day notice to strike.
This includes workers at Providence Portland, Providence Seaside, and Providence Home Health and Hospice.
Workers say they've been in contract negotiations with management for the past eight months and claim Providence has not responded to their concerns with serious proposals.
“Providence management has refused to listen to the priorities established by our nurses, all of which would result in our ability to both attract and retain nurses, avoid a strike, and re-acquire the level of care deserving of the community we serve,” Richard Botterill, RN, who is the chair of the Providence Portland Bargaining Unit Executive Committee.
“We have provided a 10-day notice to give enough time for the hospital to transfer patients and make decisions about what services they will continue to provide,” Botterill continued.
Workers say their priorities, include:
- Market-competitive wages
- Comprehensive and reasonably-priced healthcare
- Adequate staffing
- Reasonable sick and paid time off
If an agreement isn't reached, workers at those three facilities are expected to strike starting Monday, June 19.
Providence sent us a statement Friday that reads in part:
We firmly believe that strikes don’t settle contracts, they delay them and keep our hard-working caregivers from getting the pay, benefits and contract enhancements they deserve. They also strain the health care delivery system in our communities, which can jeopardize vital care for those who rely on us.
Our ministries have been preparing for this unfortunate possibility and are confident they will continue to provide critical services during the strike...the reality is that because of the staffing challenges a strike creates, there will be services that will be limited or closed during the strike.
Providence did not elaborate on which services could be affected. We'll continue to track negotiations as the strike date looms.