Medford, OR – After a prolonged 46-day strike, nurses across eight Providence hospitals in Oregon have voted to ratify a tentative agreement, officially ending the work stoppage. All eight RN bargaining units represented by the Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) voted in favor of the new contracts on Monday, February 24. This marks the end of a challenging dispute that began in mid-January.
The hospitals involved in the strike include Providence St. Vincent, Providence Portland, Providence Milwaukie, Providence Willamette Falls, Providence Newberg, Providence Hood River, Providence Seaside, and Providence Medford. The ratification vote comes after nurses at these facilities extended the original deadline, providing additional time for members to review the terms of the agreement and attend informational meetings.
ONA celebrated the approval, calling it a major milestone in their ongoing efforts to build a fair and patient-centered healthcare system across the state of Oregon. In a statement, the union emphasized the importance of collective bargaining in addressing the priorities of nurses and creating improvements in patient care.
“This agreement marks a significant milestone in our ongoing efforts to bargain collectively across the state to create a fair and just, patient-centered healthcare system in Oregon,” ONA said in a statement on its website.
Providence Health & Services, which oversees the affected hospitals, expressed satisfaction with the outcome and praised the collaborative work between their bargaining teams and union representatives. The healthcare system also acknowledged the difficulties faced by both sides over the past several weeks but expressed optimism about moving forward.
“We are pleased that union-represented RNs at all eight Oregon hospitals voted to approve new contracts and end their strikes,” Providence said in a statement. “We recognize the challenges faced over the past six weeks and are proud of these agreements that address issues the union bargaining teams identified as priorities during negotiations. We are grateful to the bargaining teams from Providence ministries and the union for their collaborative work on finding common ground. We look forward to working in cooperation to find sustainable solutions to Oregon’s future healthcare needs.”
The ratification of the agreement follows a tense and prolonged negotiation process, with nurses seeking improved staffing levels, higher wages, and stronger protections for patient care. The strike and subsequent vote bring a close to a major labor dispute that had disrupted healthcare services in the state, while also marking a new chapter in the relationship between Providence and its nursing staff.
With the strike officially ended, both sides now look ahead to implementing the new contracts and addressing ongoing challenges in Oregon’s healthcare system.