Striking HR nurses battle ‘corporatized health care system’

For 10 months, Foss and other Providence nurses in Hood River have been working without a contract. On Friday, they joined 5,000 other union-represented nurses and doctors at eight hospitals and six clinics in the largest healthcare strike in Oregon’s history. Doctors and physicians at several Providence locations also walked off the job in support of the nurses' negotiations. Doctors, nurse practitioners and clinics from Providence Hood River did not participate in the strike.

Paula Chakowski is a registered nurse in the emergency department at Providence Hood River who has spent time on the ONA bargaining team in prior years. Chakowski said the current staffing levels at the hospital are dangerously low and it’s beginning to affect the patients, not just nurses.

“We often have patients that are waiting for beds because we were not fully staffed,” she said. “We don’t have the staff here because we’re not keeping the nurses for that lack of competitiveness with the other hospitals. One of the hospitals we’re constantly trying to catch up with is OHSU (Oregon Health and Science University).”

Chakowski highlighted the 2001 nurses strike that saw OHSU administrators attempt to remove contract language that would give nurses tuition discounts in lieu of an anticipated 55% increase in health insurance rates. The nurses were on strike for 56 days and the two sides ultimately agreed on a contract that provided double-time pay for mandatory overtime, a tuition assistance program, and increase in wages and additional contributions to employee healthcare plans.

“We would definitely like to get to the table as soon as possible, but we’ll stay out here until Providence makes some good offers,” Chakowski said.

“An open-ended strike means that we do not have a set end date, that we are prepared to continue striking, to continue withholding our labor until Providence shows some meaningful engagement and comes back to the table,” Foss said.

According to Chakowski and Foss, the ONA made the latest offer and Providence had yet to respond as of Friday. On Saturday, Providence issued a statement that they have “reached out” to the ONA to continue mediation.

The health provider noted that more than 600 union-represented nurses across the state continue to work through the strike. According to Saturday's press release "Providence informed federal mediators that, with the help of so many ONA-represented caregivers who chose to work rather than participate in strikes, our ministries are now in a position to discuss resuming mediated negotiation sessions.” 

Providence is ready to negotiate with hospitals in Medford and Newberg, and added they will be in contact with additional units in the days ahead.

Foss said that Providence negotiators have shown up late to bargaining sessions, failed to reschedule meetings and ignored ONA proposals. She said that the nurses who participate in the bargaining sessions are doing so on their own time.

“We have to fit this in between our shifts, we have to do this on our own free time and trying to have time to prepare and do all those kinds of things can be strenuous and difficult,” Foss said. “Our administration is [bargaining] on their paid time during normal business hours.”

She explained that there have been times when nurses have had to delay bargaining meetings and it’s not totally one-sided, but Foss reiterated that at times she feels Providence has “wasted our time.”

Strike lines will be maintained daily from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. ONA reminds residents that if you are sick, do not delay getting medial attention. “We would prefer to provide your care ourselves, but Providence executives refusal to continue meeting with caregivers has forced us onto the picket line to advocate for you, our communities, and our colleagues,” the ONA said in a statement online. Community members can visit www.OregonRN.org/PatientsBeforeProfits to sign a petition to support frontline healthcare workers, get updates and find out how else they can help.