Legacy nurses at 3 Oregon hospitals announce intent to unionize
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – More than 2,200 nurses from three different Legacy hospitals have announced their intent to unionize as of Monday morning, according to the Oregon Nurses Association.
Nurses with the Legacy Good Samaritan Medical Center, Legacy Emanuel Medical Center, and Randall Children’s Hospital each delivered a letter to management to seek recognition of their unionization.
“Legacy nurses have waited decades for this moment,” said Sarah Zavala, a registered nurse in the Emergency Department at Legacy Emanuel. “Unionizing with ONA is about empowering nurses to provide the highest standard of care, ensuring safe staffing, and protecting the well-being of both staff and patients.”
The Oregon Nurses Association represents more than 21,000 healthcare workers in the state. According to the union, the nurses at these three facilities home to “promptly begin collective bargaining over their concerns about patient care, staffing, and other issues.”
This announcement comes after a public shooting took place at Legacy Good Samaritan in 2023, the same year that Legacy attempted to close the Mt. Hood Family Birth Center — a decision that was ultimately denied by the Oregon Health Authority.
The union said a recent merger between Legacy and Oregon Health & Science University had also heightened concerns for nurses regarding job security, staffing levels, workplace safety and patient care.
“Unionized nurses are better equipped to advocate for community health need,” ONA said. “By addressing staffing issues, safety concerns, and fair compensation, nurses can focus on delivering the high-quality care their patients deserve.”
ONA said approximately 2,257 nurses are included in this recent announcement:
- Legacy Good Samaritan Medical Center: 595 registered nurses
- Legacy Emanuel Medical Center: 1,056 registered nurses
- Randall Children’s Hospital: 606 registered nurses
In response, OHSU shared the following statement with KOIN 6 News:
OHSU has longstanding and productive relationships with labor organizations that represent health care workers across the state. We value and appreciate the support these organizations provide their members in service to our patients and communities.
OHSU and Legacy Health will continue to operate as separate entities until the transaction is final/closed, so OHSU does not have a comment. Once the OHSU-Legacy transaction is final/closed, OHSU is committed to honoring all of Legacy’s existing collective bargaining agreements. You can learn more in this fact sheet: HCMO Filing Fact Sheet.