Oregon Nurses Assn. – 03/15/24 3:52 PM
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Picketing Begins March 18 and 20
WHAT: Over 3,000 Providence caregivers working in six hospitals and multiple outpatient clinics from Medford to Newberg, and Hood River to the Portland Metro; will hold a series of informational pickets in the coming weeks to protest declining standards of care. The pickets will culminate with physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses, medical assistants and other healthcare workers holding a rally for change in mid-May. Frontline caregivers are bargaining twelve open contracts with Providence.
The Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) represents more than 5,000 caregivers throughout Providence Health System including registered nurses (RNs) at each of its eight Oregon hospitals and homecare workers of every job classification. ONA has also recently added hundreds more physicians, nurse practitioners, physician associates, and nurses across Providence’s Oregon clinics. Together health care workers are joining forces to demand Providence’s corporate executives—who oversee a $27 billion operation—address minimal standards that are eroding the quality of health services for patients.
WHEN/WHERE:
Monday, March 18, 2024 from 5-7:30 p.m.
Providence Newberg Medical Center, 1001 Providence Dr., Newberg, OR
Participants will gather on the sidewalk along Highway 99W outside the hospital.
Nurses and community leaders will speak at 6 p.m.
Wednesday, March 20, 2024 from 5-7:30 p.m.
Providence St. Vincent Medical Center, 9205 SW Barnes Rd., Portland, OR
Participants will march on the sidewalk along Barnes Road beginning at SW Baltic Ave and heading west.
Nurses, elected officials and community leaders will speak at 5 and 7 p.m.
Details on future pickets will be released closer to the event’s scheduled date.
WHO: Hundreds of ONA-represented caregivers will picket at each location. They will be joined by elected officials, worker advocates and community allies.
WHY: Providence caregivers are uniting throughout Oregon’s clinics and hospitals to address health access and quality of care failures. As one of the ten largest health systems in the U.S., Providence’s executives prioritize revenue increases and boast annual budgets equivalent to many Fortune 500 companies. The emphasis on growing their $27 billion in annual revenue often comes at the expense of quality care and patient safety. Providence’s massive expansion coincides with lean staffing, under-resourcing, poor patient access, and care rationing; creating systemic concerns for caregivers throughout Providence’s clinics, hospitals, and home care services.
Beginning March 18, 3,000 caregivers with open contracts across the state will unite for Oregon’s patients and raise standards for every patient and caregiver. ONA members and community allies share the following priorities:
- Adding Nurses for Safe Patient Assignments: Providence frequently doubles patient assignments during meal periods, with assignments as high as eight patients for one nurse. Our RNs seek safe assignments throughout every shift.
- Safe Caseloads for Attending Clinicians: Establishing safe caseloads for clinicians will help them avoid the current risks of severe patient harm caused by assigning one physician to sixteen or more patients.
- Workplace Safety & Technology: Safety resources include security at all entry points, signage, metal detectors, and technology for clinicians.
- Market Competitive Wages & Differentials: Wages that entice new employees and improve retention among healthcare professionals at the Northwest’s largest health system.
- Market Competitive Health Benefits: Reduction of steep deductibles and out-of-pocket max for ONA and ONA-affiliated caregivers which are up to $6,000 more per year than competitor health systems in the metro area.
Monday and Wednesday’s informational pickets are open to the public. They are outdoor, rain-or-shine events. All participants are encouraged to follow guidance from designated picket captains.
Note: An informational picket is not a strike or work stoppage. It is a demonstration of solidarity to Providence’s administrators and a promise to our community that nurses, elected leaders, and allies are united to raise healthcare standards in Providence and throughout Oregon.