Providence files complaint against union as doctors, nurses strike enters day 5
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – As a historic doctors and nurses strike in Oregon continues into its fifth day, Providence has rolled out a complaint accusing the union of bad faith bargaining.
On Monday, Providence Medical Group filed an unfair labor practice complaint against the Pacific Northwest Hospital Medicine Association, claiming the union “unlawfully delayed bargaining by refusing to meet…at reasonable times and reasonable intervals for…bargaining.”
PMG also said the union “made a regressive bargaining proposal and consistently delayed in responding to proposals and counterproposals…while concurrently posting flyers citing intent to participate in a January strike in coordination with other Providence facility bargaining units.”
This comes after nurses and doctors from Providence St. Vincent joined the picket line Friday calling for better pay, staffing and patient care. The strike marks the first time that doctors have joined the picket line.
“I work nights. Personally, I see all the time patients waiting in the ER for hours,” Dr. Jahnavi Chandrashekar told KOIN 6 News on Monday. “We’re talking about, even after it’s been decided that they do need to be admitted to the hospital, they still spend hours waiting in sometimes stretchers in the hallway.”
Nurse Lindsey Novinger added, “We have had countless shifts where we ask for nurses and we can’t safely care for patients.”
Those striking said they had no other choice but to strike after months of negotiations failed to bring the changes they wanted to see at Providence. Meanwhile, PMG claims the union is responsible for the ongoing impacts to patient care.
Providence also said they are ready to start negotiating at some hospitals, but added that the union wants to take an “all or none” approach by insisting they wouldn't negotiate unless all Providence facilities agreed to go back to the table for hospital RN units.
By Tuesday afternoon, Providence announced that all eight hospital ministries were ready to discuss resuming mediated negotiations with the Oregon Nurses Association's teams.
"After illegally refusing to bargain during the 10-day notice period, Providence has shifted its position on negotiations dramatically over the last few days," the Oregon Nurses Association shared in a statement. "As we move back into negotiations, we call on Providence to take this process seriously, come to the table with substantive offers to address the systemic issues that impact hospitals and clinics across Oregon and reach a fair contract that prioritizes patients and frontline caregivers instead of profits."
Providence and the Union are communicating through a federal mediator, but no negotiations have been scheduled as of Tuesday morning.