About 150 technical employees went on strike March 4 at St. Charles Health System's hospital campus in Bend, Ore., according to hospital and union statements.
Hospital management and the Oregon Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals have been in negotiations for more than a year, and the union filed a strike notice Feb. 22.
The union said the hospital has been unwilling to negotiate and has not agreed to basic wage proposals, or provisions that would guarantee a fair and equitable workplace. St. Charles said it offered to resume talks with a federal mediator March 3 if the union would revoke its strike notice, but the union declined to do so. The health system also questioned the legality of the union's strike notice and filed a complaint with the federal court system to stop the strike. The court request was unsuccessful, according to The Lund Report.
St. Charles said the issue of the legality of the strike notice will remain before the National Labor Relations Board.
The health system has contracted with an agency to hire workers to temporarily replace striking ones. St. Charles said it is also asking internal workers who hold technical certifications, but who are not part of the bargaining unit, to help fill hospital shifts.
The next bargaining session is scheduled for March 10.