PORTLAND, Ore. — Ahead of a three-day nurses strike involving more than 3,000 nurses at six Providence hospitals across the state of Oregon, it appears tensions could not be higher.
The hospital system has accused the union — the Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) — of interfering with patient care by calling on other nurses, including travel nurses, to not accept contracts at the six hospitals, while the union is accusing Providence of violating Oregon's nurse safe staffing law.
Last week, ONA delivered its 10-day notice, alerting Providence that thousands of its nurses would strike starting Tuesday, June 18, at 6 a.m. This announcement, which union leaders call a very serious action, comes after six months of bargaining. The nurses have been asking for better pay, a better nurse-to-patient ratio, and better health benefits. The three-day strike will impact Providence St. Vincent, Newberg, Willamette Falls, Medford, Hood River and Milwaukie.
"Our Providence nurses are going on strike," said Jennifer Gentry, the Central Division Chief Nursing Officer for Providence. "They’re going on strike and so we will be respecting their right to do that as we continue to provide care for our patients in the community."
But now, just days out, Providence claims union tactics could affect its ability to continue providing patient care during the strike.
"It’s our responsibility to continue providing patient care, and the narrative that they are using right now has the potential of hindering our ability to do that," Gentry said. "This isn't the shop floor. This is a hospital. And we have patient lives in our hands. And so, our words really matter and we're asking for respect for that."
Hospital leadership is referring to an ONA letter, which calls on "all nurses to stand in solidarity" and to "not accept travel nurse contracts scheduled to start in June or July."
Providence announced last week that their facilities would remain open during the strike and that they'd fill those gaps with replacement workers.
"The world of replacement nurses, if they feel intimidated or if they're feeling like this isn't a place that they are welcome to come, or safe to come, then it's possible that they wouldn't choose to accept those contracts and that could negatively impact patient care," Gentry said.
The union, pushing back in a statement, wrote, in part:
First, if Providence were truly concerned about recklessness and patient safety, they would not have cut off negotiations early and would be at the bargaining table right now, seeking to reach a fair contract and end this strike before it even begins.
Second, ONA has called upon nurses and other labor unions to honor the strike and not cross the picket line; standard practice for all unions engaged in strike actions since the beginning of the American labor movement. That’s why unions are required to give health care employers a 10-day notice, so they have time to make provisions for patient care.
Providence doesn't have final numbers on replacement nurses, but said, come Tuesday, patients should still expect the same level of care.
"We want our patients to know that they shouldn't hesitate to come to us if they have a need. We will be here for them and our doors will be open," Gentry said.
Today, ONA also sent a cease-and-desist letter to Providence, claiming that the hospital system was violating the safe staffing law that mandates staff-to-patient ratios and directs hospitals to use committees to come up with how to best staff each department. ONA said Providence is adopting staffing plans without consulting other nurses.
In response, Providence said Friday night that they intend to follow the law as written.