The nurses, represented by the Oregon Nurses Association (ONA), are asking for better staffing, higher wages and improved health benefits. Nurses at the strike say they’re assigned too many patients, making working conditions unsafe.
“Providence nurses often have worse health insurance than our patients. Let me repeat that very clearly: the health care package that Providence continues to offer us and advertise as best-in-class is worse than most people we care for every day," Jessica Lobell, registered nurse and bargaining team member from Providence St. Vincent, said in an ONA press release.
A press release from Providence claims the company pays 82% of the cost of health care coverage for its employees, while the industry average is 70%.
Nurses in Medford have been bargaining with Providence since January. The contract between the two expired in March.
In early June, nurses at multiple Providence locations throughout the state met to bargain together, but no contract was finalized.
As a result, around 3,000 nurses are striking this week in Medford, Portland, Hood River, Milwaukie, Oregon City and Newberg, making it the largest nurses strike in Oregon history, according to ONA.
Providence Nurse Caroline Allison was one of many who lined up outside the hospital in downtown Medford on Tuesday holding signs, soliciting honks from passing cars.
"We don't want to be here. We don't hate Providence. We're not trying to hurt Providence. We're not trying to hurt our patients. What we're trying to do is send Providence a message that their attempt at bargaining was not good enough," she said.
Allison has worked at Providence for four years and is a member of the negotiating team.
ONA provided Providence notice 10 days in advance that it planned to strike. Allison said Providence could have bargained in that time to prevent the strike, but chose not to.
In Medford, Providence erected metal fences around its property on Tuesday.
According to Chris Pizzi, the chief executive for Providence in Southern Oregon, that was for safety.
"We have private property here. And we just want to make sure that we're protecting that and protecting our facility and the patients and families that are visiting us," he said.
"I think it's just a good distraction from the issues," Allison said. "We're going to respect their property. We're not hooligans."
Providence said it has offered a strong proposal and is waiting for the nurses to give a counter offer.
"There have been 11 negotiating sessions that we have been engaged in. We have put proposals forward. Very little movement, despite our efforts there," Pizzi said. "We provided a proposal, didn't get a counter. So it's kind of in their court right now."
He said when Providence offered a strong proposal on June 7, the nurses countered with a strike instead.
For the nurses, that strike is necessary.
"The nurses here in Medford have the worst health benefits and sick time benefits of any nurses in the state of Oregon in terms of Providence benefits, and they're not making a competitive wage. This is not complicated," said Scott Palmer, chief of staff for ONA.
Bargaining is set to begin again on Monday.
In the meantime, Providence is using replacement nurses to staff its hospitals. Providence said the transition was "seamless" on Tuesday morning.
"Everybody's very impressed with the quality of nurses that we have that are working here, the replacement nurses, and so we're moving forward and just want the community to know that we're continuing to provide exceptional care," Pizzi said.
