Nurses and clinicians went on strike June 19 at Providence Portland Medical Center, Providence Seaside Hospital, and Providence Home Health and Hospice, all in Oregon, according to a union news release shared with Becker's.
The planned five-day strike involves members of the Oregon Nurses Association, a union that represents about 1,800 nurses and clinicians at the three organizations.
Union members voted to authorize strikes in late May and early June. Nurses and clinicians began contract negotiations with management in fall 2022.
Union members claim management has not adequately invested in staffing for stable patient care in the hospital, home health and hospice care settings. The union seeks safe patient care standards and a competitive wage and benefits package.
"To all our patients and to those who receive services from Providence in Seaside and the Portland metro area: If you are sick, please do not delay getting medical care! Patients should seek hospital care immediately if they need it," the union said in a statement.
The statement adds, "We would rather be the ones providing that care, but Providence management … forced our hand and we find ourselves on the picket line advocating for you, our communities and our colleagues. Going into the hospital to get the care you need is NOT crossing our strike line. In fact, we invite you to come join us on the strike line after you've gotten the care you need."
In a June 19 statement shared with Becker's, Providence said it is focused on providing safe care to patients this coming week during the strike and has completed the transition to replacement workers at affected ministries.
"So far things have gone smoothly, and we have reduced our patient volumes to continue providing high quality care," the statement said.
Providence also said it is telling community members that if they have a critical emergency need, and they are near Providence Portland or Providence Seaside, to "come to us and be assured we will take care of you."
Providence said it wants to return to bargaining as soon as possible after the strike and has requested ONA bargaining dates for after the strike.
"We have tremendous nurses and clinicians. We respect their right to strike, and we look forward to welcoming them back. It is an honor for all of us to provide healthcare services to our communities," Providence said.
Providence Portland Medical Center, Providence Seaside Hospital, and Providence Home Health and Hospice are part of Renton, Wash.-based Providence, which has 120,000 employees total across Alaska, California, Montana, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas and Washington.