Massive Strike by Thousands of Nurses and Physicians Set to Rock Oregon Hospitals

The Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) announced an open-ended strike set to begin on January 10 after negotiations with Providence Health & Services failed. This historic strike involves 5,000 nurses across all eight Providence hospitals in Oregon, supported by physicians and hospitalists in a show of solidarity. "This is new," said Raymond Moreno, Chief Medical Officer at Providence St. Vincent. "Replacing physicians, midwives, practitioners—nobody has any experience with this."

Key Points:

• Wide-Scale Participation: 70 hospitalists, physicians, physician associates, and nurse practitioners at Providence’s largest hospital, St. Vincent, are striking. Additionally, 80 obstetrician-gynecologists, certified midwives, and nurse practitioners from six Portland-area women’s clinics are joining the walkout.

• Operational Challenges: Providence plans to rely on replacement nurses, offering high pay through staffing agencies. However, there is no clear solution for substituting hospitalists and physicians.

The following Providence hospitals in Oregon are involved in the upcoming January 10th strike:

• Providence Portland
• Providence Seaside
• Providence St. Vincent Medical Center (Portland)
• Providence Milwaukie
• Providence Willamette Falls
• Providence Medford Medical Center
• Providence Newberg
• Providence Hood River
• Additionally, the strike will involve workers from Providence Women's Clinic and other Providence clinics across the state35.

 This strike is set to be the largest healthcare worker and physicians strike in Oregon history, involving nearly 5,000 workers across all eight of Providence's hospitals in Oregon

Nurses’ Frustrations: The Push for Change

On January 2, 2024 the ONA penned an open letter exposing Providence illegally refusing to bargain. The strike stems from staffing shortages, high healthcare costs, and inadequate time with patients as primary grievances. "The corporatization of healthcare has left many Providence employees frustrated and burnt out," the ONA stated.

Key Points:

• Insurance Concerns: Many nurses were recently transitioned from Providence insurance to Aetna plans, which they say come with higher premiums and deductibles. Labor and delivery nurse Heather Medema remarked, “A lot of people think that if you work in health care, you’re going to have great health insurance. That’s rarely been the case for me.”

• Staffing Shortages: Dr. Jahnavi Chandrashekar, a hospitalist at St. Vincent, highlighted the strain of managing increasing numbers of sicker patients without adequate staffing. "We’re expanding the hospital, but we’re not expanding the service of the providers fast enough to keep pace," she said.

Providence’s Response:

Providence leaders say that their priority is patient care during the strike. CEO Jennifer Burrows expressed disappointment with the union, stating, “We have been transparent with union leaders that in the event of a work stoppage, bargaining stops to support our priority of ensuring we continue to provide excellent patient care.”

Key Points:

• Strike Planning Allegations: Providence accused the union of orchestrating a system-wide strike to increase bargaining leverage, a claim union leaders deny.

• Staffing Compliance: Oregon’s nurse staffing law remains in effect during the strike, adding pressure on Providence to maintain standard ratios.

What’s Next?

Union members insist they remain open to further negotiations, signaling a willingness to call off the strike if Providence offers concessions. For now, the stage is set for one of the largest healthcare worker strikes in Oregon’s history, raising questions about the balance between corporate healthcare models and frontline providers’ needs.

 As nurse Heather Medema powerfully stated, “It’s not just about this contract. It’s about Providence refusing to discuss the things that are important to us.” If this strike succeeds, it could redefine how healthcare systems prioritize their staff and, ultimately, patient care.