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News Release

ONA Statement On The Shooting Of Alex Pretti, An ICU Nurse For Veterans - 01/24/26

Portland, Ore. — The Oregon Nurses Association is outraged, heartbroken, and profoundly disturbed by the fatal shooting of 37-year-old registered nurse Alex Jeffrey Pretti by federal agents in Minneapolis on January 24, 2026. Alex was an intensive care unit nurse and union member at the VA hospital who dedicated his life to caring for military veterans and their families. A life devoted to healing was cut short — gunned down in the streets by federal agents while speaking out.

 

Our deepest condolences go out to Alex’s family, his patients, his colleagues, and the people of Minneapolis as they grieve this senseless and devastating loss.

 

A nurse's job is to care for their patients — but they are also ethically bound to speak out in the face of injustice and human rights violations. Provision 8.2 of the American Nurses Association Code of Ethics for Nurses is clear: “Where there are human rights violations, nurses ought to and must stand up for those rights and demand accountability.” That is exactly what Alex was doing.

 

No one should be targeted by federal agents for speaking out. No nurse should be killed for standing up for human rights.

 

ONA members in Oregon are reporting growing fear and distress as they encounter federal agents in healthcare settings, particularly at Legacy Emanuel Medical Center. The killing of a nurse is intensifying these fears and could create unsafe conditions for patients, their families, and frontline caregivers alike. Healthcare settings must be places of care, not sites of intimidation or terror.

 

The Oregon Nurses Association stands in unequivocal solidarity with immigrant communities, with nurses, and with all frontline healthcare professionals across the country who are demanding accountability and an independent investigation. Federal enforcement tactics that endanger lives and traumatize communities have no place in a just society.

 

We call on all major healthcare systems in Oregon to stand up for nurses, publicly denounce this killing, and to hold ICE and similar federal agents accountable in healthcare settings.

 

A nurse who spent his life caring for veterans was killed by his own government for speaking out. He deserves justice.

 

The Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) represents a diverse community of more than 24,000 nurses and healthcare professionals throughout Oregon. Together, we use our collective power to advocate for critical issues impacting patients, nurses and healthcare professionals including a more effective, affordable and accessible healthcare system; better working conditions for all healthcare professionals; and healthier communities. For more information visit www.OregonRN.org.

ONA Statement On The Shooting Of Alex Pretti, An ICU Nurse For Veterans - 01/24/26

Portland, Ore. — The Oregon Nurses Association is outraged, heartbroken, and profoundly disturbed by the fatal shooting of 37-year-old registered nurse Alex Jeffrey Pretti by federal agents in Minneapolis on January 24, 2026. Alex was an intensive care unit nurse and union member at the VA hospital who dedicated his life to caring for military veterans and their families. A life devoted to healing was cut short — gunned down in the streets by federal agents while speaking out.

 

Our deepest condolences go out to Alex’s family, his patients, his colleagues, and the people of Minneapolis as they grieve this senseless and devastating loss.

 

A nurse's job is to care for their patients — but they are also ethically bound to speak out in the face of injustice and human rights violations. Provision 8.2 of the American Nurses Association Code of Ethics for Nurses is clear: “Where there are human rights violations, nurses ought to and must stand up for those rights and demand accountability.” That is exactly what Alex was doing.

 

No one should be targeted by federal agents for speaking out. No nurse should be killed for standing up for human rights.

 

ONA members in Oregon are reporting growing fear and distress as they encounter federal agents in healthcare settings, particularly at Legacy Emanuel Medical Center. The killing of a nurse is intensifying these fears and could create unsafe conditions for patients, their families, and frontline caregivers alike. Healthcare settings must be places of care, not sites of intimidation or terror.

 

The Oregon Nurses Association stands in unequivocal solidarity with immigrant communities, with nurses, and with all frontline healthcare professionals across the country who are demanding accountability and an independent investigation. Federal enforcement tactics that endanger lives and traumatize communities have no place in a just society.

 

We call on all major healthcare systems in Oregon to stand up for nurses, publicly denounce this killing, and to hold ICE and similar federal agents accountable in healthcare settings.

 

A nurse who spent his life caring for veterans was killed by his own government for speaking out. He deserves justice.

 

The Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) represents a diverse community of more than 24,000 nurses and healthcare professionals throughout Oregon. Together, we use our collective power to advocate for critical issues impacting patients, nurses and healthcare professionals including a more effective, affordable and accessible healthcare system; better working conditions for all healthcare professionals; and healthier communities. For more information visit www.OregonRN.org.

ONA Statement On The Detainment Of A Family At Adventist Hospital - 01/23/26

Reports by The Oregonian on January 23 and Noticias Noroeste that a family was detained by ICE while seeking medical care for their 7-year-old child at Adventist Health in Portland are alarming, chilling, and deeply shameful. No parent should ever be forced to weigh their child’s health against the risk of detention. No child should be subjected to this level of fear. Every child deserves access to quality and timely healthcare.  

  

Provision 8.2 of the Nurses Code of Ethics is clear: “Where there are human rights violations, nurses ought to and must stand up for those rights and demand accountability.” That is why we are speaking out. 

  

Detaining a family while they seek medical care for a child is unconscionable and does not just violate the ethical obligations of frontline caregivers; it violates the fundamental ethical obligation of healthcare institutions.  

  

ONA members—nurses and frontline caregivers across Oregon—have been warning for months about the devastating consequences of ICE enforcement occurring in or near hospitals. Hospitals must be places of healing, safety, and trust. When that trust is broken, families delay care or avoid it altogether, turning preventable and treatable conditions into life-threatening emergencies. For children, the consequences of delayed or denied care are especially severe. 

 

When law enforcement actions intrude into medical spaces, patient care is compromised—and in this case, a child’s well-being was placed at risk. This unjustified action raises urgent and disturbing questions that demand answers. Did the child ever receive the healthcare they needed? What capacity does ICE have to ensure the medical stability of a child whose parents sought emergency care in a hospital setting? Who assumed responsibility for the child’s health and safety once the family was detained, and under what clinical standards? These are not abstract concerns; they are matters of life, health, and basic human dignity. 

 

ONA calls on Oregon’s healthcare executives, hospital systems, and elected officials at every level to forcefully put an end to this heinous practice and to take immediate action to ensure that hospitals remain safe spaces for all families, without exception. ONA will continue to stand with immigrant communities, our patients, our families, and caregivers to demand accountability and protect access to care for all. 

 

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ONA Statement On The Detainment Of A Family At Adventist Hospital - 01/23/26

Reports by The Oregonian on January 23 and Noticias Noroeste that a family was detained by ICE while seeking medical care for their 7-year-old child at Adventist Health in Portland are alarming, chilling, and deeply shameful. No parent should ever be forced to weigh their child’s health against the risk of detention. No child should be subjected to this level of fear. Every child deserves access to quality and timely healthcare.  

  

Provision 8.2 of the Nurses Code of Ethics is clear: “Where there are human rights violations, nurses ought to and must stand up for those rights and demand accountability.” That is why we are speaking out. 

  

Detaining a family while they seek medical care for a child is unconscionable and does not just violate the ethical obligations of frontline caregivers; it violates the fundamental ethical obligation of healthcare institutions.  

  

ONA members—nurses and frontline caregivers across Oregon—have been warning for months about the devastating consequences of ICE enforcement occurring in or near hospitals. Hospitals must be places of healing, safety, and trust. When that trust is broken, families delay care or avoid it altogether, turning preventable and treatable conditions into life-threatening emergencies. For children, the consequences of delayed or denied care are especially severe. 

 

When law enforcement actions intrude into medical spaces, patient care is compromised—and in this case, a child’s well-being was placed at risk. This unjustified action raises urgent and disturbing questions that demand answers. Did the child ever receive the healthcare they needed? What capacity does ICE have to ensure the medical stability of a child whose parents sought emergency care in a hospital setting? Who assumed responsibility for the child’s health and safety once the family was detained, and under what clinical standards? These are not abstract concerns; they are matters of life, health, and basic human dignity. 

 

ONA calls on Oregon’s healthcare executives, hospital systems, and elected officials at every level to forcefully put an end to this heinous practice and to take immediate action to ensure that hospitals remain safe spaces for all families, without exception. ONA will continue to stand with immigrant communities, our patients, our families, and caregivers to demand accountability and protect access to care for all. 

 

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Oregon Nurses Association Condemns Violence By Federal Agents, Demands Accountability After Portland Shooting - 01/09/26

Portland, Ore. - The Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) is saddened and deeply disturbed by the shooting of two individuals by federal agents in Portland. We are closely monitoring developments as more information becomes available. Our hearts are with the victims and their families, and we hope for their full recovery.

 

As frontline healthcare workers, we are entrusted with a fundamental responsibility: to protect life, reduce harm, and provide the highest level of care possible—without exception. While this responsibility most often involves caring for our patient’s physical health, it also requires us to speak out when people’s safety and well-being are threatened.

 

The presence of federal agents in our communities endangers the safety and well-being of Oregonians. These agencies have demonstrated a troubling pattern of unjustified violence, harassment without accountability, and the detention of individuals without cause. This must stop. Their actions spread fear, cause harm, and put lives at risk.

 

Oregonians deserve better. Immigrant communities deserve better. No one’s life should be placed in jeopardy by a federal agency, and no one should have to live in fear.

 

ONA calls on the Department of Homeland Security to listen to local leaders, immediately cease operations in Oregon, and ensure a comprehensive, independent investigation into this shooting. At the same time, we join Oregon’s elected officials in calling for a calm, peaceful response that reflects our shared commitment to justice, dignity, and the power of collective action.

As frontline caregivers, we are rooted in the communities we serve, and we bear witness to the consequences of violence and fear every day. We will continue to stand up for the safety of all people, inside our hospitals and clinics and beyond their walls.

 

The Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) represents a diverse community of more than 24,000 nurses and healthcare professionals throughout Oregon. Together, we use our collective power to advocate for critical issues impacting patients, nurses and healthcare professionals including a more effective, affordable and accessible healthcare system; better working conditions for all healthcare professionals; and healthier communities. For more information visit www.OregonRN.org.

 

# # #

Oregon Nurses Association Condemns Violence By Federal Agents, Demands Accountability After Portland Shooting - 01/09/26

Portland, Ore. - The Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) is saddened and deeply disturbed by the shooting of two individuals by federal agents in Portland. We are closely monitoring developments as more information becomes available. Our hearts are with the victims and their families, and we hope for their full recovery.

 

As frontline healthcare workers, we are entrusted with a fundamental responsibility: to protect life, reduce harm, and provide the highest level of care possible—without exception. While this responsibility most often involves caring for our patient’s physical health, it also requires us to speak out when people’s safety and well-being are threatened.

 

The presence of federal agents in our communities endangers the safety and well-being of Oregonians. These agencies have demonstrated a troubling pattern of unjustified violence, harassment without accountability, and the detention of individuals without cause. This must stop. Their actions spread fear, cause harm, and put lives at risk.

 

Oregonians deserve better. Immigrant communities deserve better. No one’s life should be placed in jeopardy by a federal agency, and no one should have to live in fear.

 

ONA calls on the Department of Homeland Security to listen to local leaders, immediately cease operations in Oregon, and ensure a comprehensive, independent investigation into this shooting. At the same time, we join Oregon’s elected officials in calling for a calm, peaceful response that reflects our shared commitment to justice, dignity, and the power of collective action.

As frontline caregivers, we are rooted in the communities we serve, and we bear witness to the consequences of violence and fear every day. We will continue to stand up for the safety of all people, inside our hospitals and clinics and beyond their walls.

 

The Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) represents a diverse community of more than 24,000 nurses and healthcare professionals throughout Oregon. Together, we use our collective power to advocate for critical issues impacting patients, nurses and healthcare professionals including a more effective, affordable and accessible healthcare system; better working conditions for all healthcare professionals; and healthier communities. For more information visit www.OregonRN.org.

 

# # #

Oregon Nurses Call On Legacy Health To Sign Binding Agreement After Ignoring ICE Concerns - 01/08/26

Portland, Ore. — On December 10, the Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) sent a letter to Legacy Health requesting an urgent meeting to address the growing and deeply troubling practice of ICE bringing detained individuals to Legacy Emanuel Medical Center. More than four weeks later, Legacy failed to provide a substantive response. As a result, ONA is calling on the health system to immediately sign a binding Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to protect the rights, safety, and privacy of people in ICE custody.

 

The December 10 letter, addressed to Legacy Emanuel President Bahaa Wanley, outlined serious concerns raised by bedside nurses that Legacy is failing to uphold fundamental patient rights. These include patient confidentiality, patients’ ability to participate in decisions about their own care, and compliance with the Oregon Nurse Practice Act. The letter called for safeguards to protect patient rights and ensure legal compliance when ICE is present in the hospital.

 

“Legacy’s silence and lack of response is deeply concerning,” said Peter Starzynski, spokesperson for ONA. “When ICE activity interferes with patient care, frontline caregivers are placed in an impossible position—forced to choose between their ethical obligations and unclear or unsafe practices. Legacy has refused even the most basic step of meeting with us to address these concerns and ensure ICE is held accountable.”

 

In light of the recent killing of Renee Nicole Good by ICE agents Minneapolis, it is clear that ICE’s violence is escalating without any real accountability. This reality makes Legacy Health’s responsibility to act to protect patients and staff even more urgent—and further underscores the need for a formal agreement with ONA to protect patients, uphold ethical care standards, and ensure the safety of frontline caregivers.

 

The MOU

The proposed MOU would establish clear, enforceable standards at Legacy Emanuel, including:

  • Requiring ICE and all federal law enforcement to comply with legal requirements before questioning, searching, or detaining anyone in a hospital.
  • Preserving patient privacy by restricting law enforcement access to clinical spaces without proper legal authority.
  • Reaffirming that law enforcement is never the medical decision-maker and may not interrupt or terminate care.
  • Upholding HIPAA protections for all patients, including those in custody
  • Providing patient education, interpreter access, and connections to legal and social services.
  • Creating a joint labor–management committee to oversee implementation and training.
  • Guaranteeing non-retaliation for nurses who advocate for patient safety, privacy, and ethical care.

You can read the full MOU here and the accompanying letter here.

 

“What we’re asking for are simple, commonsense healthcare practices,” Starzynski said. “Nurses and other frontline caregivers need to be able to do their jobs ethically and legally. Every patient—regardless of immigration status—deserves dignity, privacy, safe medical care, and a full understanding of their rights. Right now, those standards are not being met for people in ICE custody at Legacy Emanuel.”

 

ONA urges Legacy Health to immediately commit to the proposed MOU, so caregivers can provide consistent, lawful, and compassionate care to every patient who enters its facilities.

 

ONA’s mission is clear: we exist to protect patient privacy, uphold human dignity, and provide equitable care to every person who walks through the doors of the hospitals and clinics where we work. ICE’s targeting of immigrant communities is wrong and fundamentally inconsistent with these values. These actions—whether carried out or threatened—create fear that prevents people from going to work, moving freely in their communities, and seeking medical care when they need it most.  That fear directly undermines the core principles of being a frontline nurse, provider, or caregiver.

 

The more than 24,000 represented healthcare professionals of the Oregon Nurses Association are steadfast in ensuring that Oregon’s healthcare system remains a place of healing—never an extension of law enforcement—where all people, regardless of immigration status, can receive care without fear.

 

The Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) represents a diverse community of more than 24,000 nurses and healthcare professionals throughout Oregon. Together, we use our collective power to advocate for critical issues impacting patients, nurses and healthcare professionals including a more effective, affordable and accessible healthcare system; better working conditions for all healthcare professionals; and healthier communities. For more information visit www.OregonRN.org.

 

# # #

Oregon Nurses Call On Legacy Health To Sign Binding Agreement After Ignoring ICE Concerns - 01/08/26

Portland, Ore. — On December 10, the Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) sent a letter to Legacy Health requesting an urgent meeting to address the growing and deeply troubling practice of ICE bringing detained individuals to Legacy Emanuel Medical Center. More than four weeks later, Legacy failed to provide a substantive response. As a result, ONA is calling on the health system to immediately sign a binding Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to protect the rights, safety, and privacy of people in ICE custody.

 

The December 10 letter, addressed to Legacy Emanuel President Bahaa Wanley, outlined serious concerns raised by bedside nurses that Legacy is failing to uphold fundamental patient rights. These include patient confidentiality, patients’ ability to participate in decisions about their own care, and compliance with the Oregon Nurse Practice Act. The letter called for safeguards to protect patient rights and ensure legal compliance when ICE is present in the hospital.

 

“Legacy’s silence and lack of response is deeply concerning,” said Peter Starzynski, spokesperson for ONA. “When ICE activity interferes with patient care, frontline caregivers are placed in an impossible position—forced to choose between their ethical obligations and unclear or unsafe practices. Legacy has refused even the most basic step of meeting with us to address these concerns and ensure ICE is held accountable.”

 

In light of the recent killing of Renee Nicole Good by ICE agents Minneapolis, it is clear that ICE’s violence is escalating without any real accountability. This reality makes Legacy Health’s responsibility to act to protect patients and staff even more urgent—and further underscores the need for a formal agreement with ONA to protect patients, uphold ethical care standards, and ensure the safety of frontline caregivers.

 

The MOU

The proposed MOU would establish clear, enforceable standards at Legacy Emanuel, including:

  • Requiring ICE and all federal law enforcement to comply with legal requirements before questioning, searching, or detaining anyone in a hospital.
  • Preserving patient privacy by restricting law enforcement access to clinical spaces without proper legal authority.
  • Reaffirming that law enforcement is never the medical decision-maker and may not interrupt or terminate care.
  • Upholding HIPAA protections for all patients, including those in custody
  • Providing patient education, interpreter access, and connections to legal and social services.
  • Creating a joint labor–management committee to oversee implementation and training.
  • Guaranteeing non-retaliation for nurses who advocate for patient safety, privacy, and ethical care.

You can read the full MOU here and the accompanying letter here.

 

“What we’re asking for are simple, commonsense healthcare practices,” Starzynski said. “Nurses and other frontline caregivers need to be able to do their jobs ethically and legally. Every patient—regardless of immigration status—deserves dignity, privacy, safe medical care, and a full understanding of their rights. Right now, those standards are not being met for people in ICE custody at Legacy Emanuel.”

 

ONA urges Legacy Health to immediately commit to the proposed MOU, so caregivers can provide consistent, lawful, and compassionate care to every patient who enters its facilities.

 

ONA’s mission is clear: we exist to protect patient privacy, uphold human dignity, and provide equitable care to every person who walks through the doors of the hospitals and clinics where we work. ICE’s targeting of immigrant communities is wrong and fundamentally inconsistent with these values. These actions—whether carried out or threatened—create fear that prevents people from going to work, moving freely in their communities, and seeking medical care when they need it most.  That fear directly undermines the core principles of being a frontline nurse, provider, or caregiver.

 

The more than 24,000 represented healthcare professionals of the Oregon Nurses Association are steadfast in ensuring that Oregon’s healthcare system remains a place of healing—never an extension of law enforcement—where all people, regardless of immigration status, can receive care without fear.

 

The Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) represents a diverse community of more than 24,000 nurses and healthcare professionals throughout Oregon. Together, we use our collective power to advocate for critical issues impacting patients, nurses and healthcare professionals including a more effective, affordable and accessible healthcare system; better working conditions for all healthcare professionals; and healthier communities. For more information visit www.OregonRN.org.

 

# # #

ONA Statement On The Killing Of Renee Nicole Good By ICE In Minneapolis - 01/07/26

PORTLAND, Ore. - As frontline healthcare workers, we are entrusted with a fundamental responsibility: to preserve life, reduce harm, and provide care with dignity—without exception. The killing of Renee Nicole Good by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Minneapolis is a devastating violation of those principles and a stark example of the unchecked harm ICE continues to inflict on our communities. Our hearts go out to the victim and her family, and we extend our deepest sympathies during this profound moment of loss.

 

The Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) unequivocally condemns this senseless act of violence and demands full transparency from the Department of Homeland Security, including a thorough, independent investigation. We call for an immediate end to ICE’s operations in our communities and for meaningful oversight of an agency that has repeatedly demonstrated it cannot be trusted to police itself.

 

The videos emerging from Minneapolis are chilling. When state violence occurs, it is the nurses and other frontline caregivers who are called to respond to stop the bleeding, manage the trauma, and comfort families. ICE, meanwhile, operates with extraordinary power and little accountability—bringing lethal force into communities in Oregon and across the country, while evading the transparency and consequences required of other agencies or institutions.

 

This killing did not happen in a vacuum. ICE’s routine use of intimidation and force creates widespread fear that keeps immigrant communities from seeking medical care, delays treatment until conditions become life-threatening, and causes lasting psychological trauma. That fear directly interferes with frontline healthcare workers’ ability to carry out our professional, ethical, and legal responsibilities. A system that drives patients into hiding is not protecting public safety—it is actively endangering lives.

 

As frontline healthcare workers, we see the consequences of these actions every day, and this killing only deepens the harm. ICE’s tactics have pushed immigrant communities into crisis—a reality fundamentally at odds with our commitment as frontline caregivers. Immigrants are vital members of our state and our healthcare system, and they deserve the same rights and protections as everyone else. ONA stands in solidarity with immigrant communities and communities of color who are directly and indirectly harmed by ICE’s actions.

 

We cannot fulfill our duty to care for patients while ICE continues to operate as an unaccountable force that threatens the very communities we are sworn to protect and serve. 

 

###

ONA Statement On The Killing Of Renee Nicole Good By ICE In Minneapolis - 01/07/26

PORTLAND, Ore. - As frontline healthcare workers, we are entrusted with a fundamental responsibility: to preserve life, reduce harm, and provide care with dignity—without exception. The killing of Renee Nicole Good by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Minneapolis is a devastating violation of those principles and a stark example of the unchecked harm ICE continues to inflict on our communities. Our hearts go out to the victim and her family, and we extend our deepest sympathies during this profound moment of loss.

 

The Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) unequivocally condemns this senseless act of violence and demands full transparency from the Department of Homeland Security, including a thorough, independent investigation. We call for an immediate end to ICE’s operations in our communities and for meaningful oversight of an agency that has repeatedly demonstrated it cannot be trusted to police itself.

 

The videos emerging from Minneapolis are chilling. When state violence occurs, it is the nurses and other frontline caregivers who are called to respond to stop the bleeding, manage the trauma, and comfort families. ICE, meanwhile, operates with extraordinary power and little accountability—bringing lethal force into communities in Oregon and across the country, while evading the transparency and consequences required of other agencies or institutions.

 

This killing did not happen in a vacuum. ICE’s routine use of intimidation and force creates widespread fear that keeps immigrant communities from seeking medical care, delays treatment until conditions become life-threatening, and causes lasting psychological trauma. That fear directly interferes with frontline healthcare workers’ ability to carry out our professional, ethical, and legal responsibilities. A system that drives patients into hiding is not protecting public safety—it is actively endangering lives.

 

As frontline healthcare workers, we see the consequences of these actions every day, and this killing only deepens the harm. ICE’s tactics have pushed immigrant communities into crisis—a reality fundamentally at odds with our commitment as frontline caregivers. Immigrants are vital members of our state and our healthcare system, and they deserve the same rights and protections as everyone else. ONA stands in solidarity with immigrant communities and communities of color who are directly and indirectly harmed by ICE’s actions.

 

We cannot fulfill our duty to care for patients while ICE continues to operate as an unaccountable force that threatens the very communities we are sworn to protect and serve. 

 

###

Asante Is Creating A Staffing Crisis By Refusing To Follow Nurses’ Contract And Oregon Law (Photo) - 01/06/26

MEDFORD, Ore. - A new policy at Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center (AARMC) is leaving hospital units short staffed and putting patients at risk as managers turn away nurses who are ready to work. In early December, Asante chief nursing officer (CNO) Julie Bowman and hospital administration began requiring nurses to sign away their rights to overtime or incentive pay when doing extra work to cover the hospital’s staffing shortages. 

 

As a result, dozens of nursing shifts are going unfilled every day—leading to real impacts for patients and the community. Over the holidays, Asante’s emergency department and neonatal intensive care unit were short significant numbers of staff and the IMCU/critical care unit was forced to close due to staffing shortages—requiring vulnerable patients to be relocated to other units.  

 

Asante’s contract with nurses outlines overtime and incentive compensation for nurses who volunteer for extra shifts to fill staffing shortages. However, Asante is now requiring registered nurses to sign a waiver giving up their legal and contractual rights to overtime and incentive pay before allowing nurses to fill critical vacancies.  

 

“Nurses are willing to sacrifice our personal time to be there for patients and families and fill the gaps in Asante’s schedule,” said Fred Katz, RN, ONA bargaining unit chair at Rogue Regional. “But we expect Asante to keep its word to healthcare workers who are going above and beyond. Asante needs to honor the contract incentives it agreed to for nurses willing to work extra shifts and ultimately hire more nurses so we can give the community the care it expects.” 

 

Requiring nurses to forfeit their rights goes against the hospital’s contract and raises serious moral questions about its commitment to safe staffing and patient safety. The Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) has filed a grievance, noting that nurse managers are knowingly violating agreed upon staffing plans. The grievance calls upon Asante to drop all practices and policies that create barriers to safe patient care and violate the nurse staffing law.

 

“The incentives were developed to encourage workers to fill in holes in the schedule ahead of time to assure safe staffing. In the last contract negotiations, ONA agreed to reduce incentives given some improvements in staffing post-Covid. Now, the hospital is making every effort to break their contractual obligation, even when staffing ratios are falling below the levels defined in the safe staffing law. Nurses should not be forced to accept unsafe staffing conditions or assignments in order to maintain a healthy profit margin for the hospital," said Katz. 

 

“Nurses will not forgo the hard fought for and earned benefits outlined in their contract. The hospital attorney can claim to interpret the law but nurses know their contract. We know what the hospital has agreed to, just like we know the verbiage of the staffing law. We do not leave these things to interpretation for profit taking as the hospital’s administration and lawyer has done repeatedly."

 

Local emergency room nurses are circulating a petition to Asante leadership highlighting their concerns about unsafe staffing in the ER and the effects of forcing workers to forfeit their rights to agreed-upon pay. The petition says in part:

 

“We are deeply concerned that staffing vacancies are being intentionally left open despite qualified staff offering to cover, despite our patient volumes being as high as they’ve ever been. We are also concerned that Asante is choosing not to hire nurses and emergency technician for positions that are open because of turnover, creating shadow vacancies that result in more open shifts ... We strongly urge leadership to address this issue promptly to mitigate patient safety risk” 

 

Nurses are concerned because short staffing puts patients at greater risk of harm, results in longer wait times and increases the chance of missed care along with accelerating healthcare provider burnout and turnover. 

 

If Asante continues refusing to fill vacancies with willing nurses, it will continue violating hospital staffing plans and incurring financial penalties. The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) has repeatedly investigated Asante for staffing violations and found 125 staffing law violations and counting since June 5, 2025. OHA has proposed fining ARRMC more than $34,000 for staffing law violations that occurred in June 2025 alone. OHA is expted to assess additional penalties as it completes its work on complaints from July to the present.  

 

ONA represents more than 1200 registered nurses working at ARRMC. It is the only critical access hospital for hundreds of miles and serves rural communities from the South Coast to Northern California. In early December, Asante announced it was turning Ashland Community Hospital into a satellite campus and eliminating inpatient admissions and the birth center. The change will force more patients to travel to Medford for care and increase the strain on the current workforce. Asante says the changes are needed to ensure financial stability, but in 2024 the hospital made more than $64 million. 

 

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Attached Media Files: Fred Katz, RN. ONA bargaining unit chair at Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center. Photo courtesy of Kevin Mealy, ONA.,

Asante Is Creating A Staffing Crisis By Refusing To Follow Nurses’ Contract And Oregon Law (Photo) - 01/06/26

MEDFORD, Ore. - A new policy at Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center (AARMC) is leaving hospital units short staffed and putting patients at risk as managers turn away nurses who are ready to work. In early December, Asante chief nursing officer (CNO) Julie Bowman and hospital administration began requiring nurses to sign away their rights to overtime or incentive pay when doing extra work to cover the hospital’s staffing shortages. 

 

As a result, dozens of nursing shifts are going unfilled every day—leading to real impacts for patients and the community. Over the holidays, Asante’s emergency department and neonatal intensive care unit were short significant numbers of staff and the IMCU/critical care unit was forced to close due to staffing shortages—requiring vulnerable patients to be relocated to other units.  

 

Asante’s contract with nurses outlines overtime and incentive compensation for nurses who volunteer for extra shifts to fill staffing shortages. However, Asante is now requiring registered nurses to sign a waiver giving up their legal and contractual rights to overtime and incentive pay before allowing nurses to fill critical vacancies.  

 

“Nurses are willing to sacrifice our personal time to be there for patients and families and fill the gaps in Asante’s schedule,” said Fred Katz, RN, ONA bargaining unit chair at Rogue Regional. “But we expect Asante to keep its word to healthcare workers who are going above and beyond. Asante needs to honor the contract incentives it agreed to for nurses willing to work extra shifts and ultimately hire more nurses so we can give the community the care it expects.” 

 

Requiring nurses to forfeit their rights goes against the hospital’s contract and raises serious moral questions about its commitment to safe staffing and patient safety. The Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) has filed a grievance, noting that nurse managers are knowingly violating agreed upon staffing plans. The grievance calls upon Asante to drop all practices and policies that create barriers to safe patient care and violate the nurse staffing law.

 

“The incentives were developed to encourage workers to fill in holes in the schedule ahead of time to assure safe staffing. In the last contract negotiations, ONA agreed to reduce incentives given some improvements in staffing post-Covid. Now, the hospital is making every effort to break their contractual obligation, even when staffing ratios are falling below the levels defined in the safe staffing law. Nurses should not be forced to accept unsafe staffing conditions or assignments in order to maintain a healthy profit margin for the hospital," said Katz. 

 

“Nurses will not forgo the hard fought for and earned benefits outlined in their contract. The hospital attorney can claim to interpret the law but nurses know their contract. We know what the hospital has agreed to, just like we know the verbiage of the staffing law. We do not leave these things to interpretation for profit taking as the hospital’s administration and lawyer has done repeatedly."

 

Local emergency room nurses are circulating a petition to Asante leadership highlighting their concerns about unsafe staffing in the ER and the effects of forcing workers to forfeit their rights to agreed-upon pay. The petition says in part:

 

“We are deeply concerned that staffing vacancies are being intentionally left open despite qualified staff offering to cover, despite our patient volumes being as high as they’ve ever been. We are also concerned that Asante is choosing not to hire nurses and emergency technician for positions that are open because of turnover, creating shadow vacancies that result in more open shifts ... We strongly urge leadership to address this issue promptly to mitigate patient safety risk” 

 

Nurses are concerned because short staffing puts patients at greater risk of harm, results in longer wait times and increases the chance of missed care along with accelerating healthcare provider burnout and turnover. 

 

If Asante continues refusing to fill vacancies with willing nurses, it will continue violating hospital staffing plans and incurring financial penalties. The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) has repeatedly investigated Asante for staffing violations and found 125 staffing law violations and counting since June 5, 2025. OHA has proposed fining ARRMC more than $34,000 for staffing law violations that occurred in June 2025 alone. OHA is expted to assess additional penalties as it completes its work on complaints from July to the present.  

 

ONA represents more than 1200 registered nurses working at ARRMC. It is the only critical access hospital for hundreds of miles and serves rural communities from the South Coast to Northern California. In early December, Asante announced it was turning Ashland Community Hospital into a satellite campus and eliminating inpatient admissions and the birth center. The change will force more patients to travel to Medford for care and increase the strain on the current workforce. Asante says the changes are needed to ensure financial stability, but in 2024 the hospital made more than $64 million. 

 

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Attached Media Files: Fred Katz, RN. ONA bargaining unit chair at Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center. Photo courtesy of Kevin Mealy, ONA.,

Legacy Advanced Practice Providers Ratify Historic First Union Contract After 29-Day Strike - 01/02/26

PORTLAND, Ore. — Legacy Health advanced practice providers (APPs) have overwhelmingly voted to ratify their first union contract, marking a historic victory for frontline healthcare workers and a major turning point in labor relations at Legacy Health. The contract includes across-the-board pay raises, accelerated timelines for raises, and new protections for APPs if Legacy makes unilateral decisions about the workplace.

 

The landmark agreement follows a 29-day strike that began December 2, when APPs walked off the job demanding respect for their work, competitive pay, and a sustainable future for patient care. The first contract is a clear demonstration of what healthcare workers can win when they stand together.

 

“We’re incredibly proud of what we accomplished together on the strike line,” said Megan Barckert, a nurse practitioner (NP) in oncology and member of the bargaining team. “Advanced practice providers make up 41% of all providers nationally, and that number is steadily growing. Our strike is a clear representation of this changing market. APPs are integral leaders within healthcare, and our voices will not be silenced.”

 

Over the course of the strike, Legacy management dramatically shifted their position. Prior to the strike, executives said they would not bargain or improve their “last, best, and final” offer. During the strike, however, Legacy APPs and management met numerous times at the bargaining table, ultimately reaching an improved second tentative agreement that delivers accelerated pay increases, a fourth raise, and new protections against unilateral workplace changes.

 

The ratified contract represents a breakthrough not only for APPs, but for workers across Legacy Health. Long considered a historically low–union density health system in Oregon, Legacy has undergone a dramatic transformation—especially in 2025.

 

While the Legacy APPs who were just on strike joined the Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) in December 2023, nearly 2,900 frontline Legacy workers—including registered nurses (RNs) and APPs—joined ONA in 2025 alone. This includes more than 2,300 RNs at Legacy Emanuel, Randall, and Good Samaritan hospitals who voted to unionize in January 2025, a campaign that was three decades in the making. Those workers are still bargaining their first contracts.

 

During the strike, APPs were joined by their colleagues from Legacy GoHealth and Legacy Pediatrics in “solidarity strikes,” an uncommon event in healthcare settings and a powerful demonstration of the growing unionization at Legacy. APPs at GoHealth and Pediatrics are among the groups that organized with ONA in 2025.

 

This shift reflects growing discontent among healthcare workers in an increasingly corporatized healthcare system—one that asks frontline caregivers to do more with less while patients wait longer for care, and executive compensation continues to rise. These issues are not unique to Legacy, but the scale of organizing and the number of first contracts being negotiated is.

 

The agreement comes more than two years after APPs joined ONA and follows over 18 months of bargaining.

 

Among other things, Key provisions of the historic contract include, among other things:

  • Across-the-board wage increases and clearer pay scales, moving multiple departments into higher pay tiers. The agreement represents meaningful progress toward competitive compensation, which will improve recruitment and retention.
  • Regular cost-of-living adjustments, increased extra-shift pay, and enhanced compensation for night and extended shifts.
  • Accelerated pay increases across the life of the contract, with no caps on raises, and an additional fourth raise.
  • Just-cause protections for discipline and termination, ensuring due process and fairness.
  • A new Labor–Management Committee to improve communication and proactively address workplace issues.

Perhaps most importantly, the contract ends an era of one-sided decision-making at Legacy. APPs now have enforceable rights, a real voice on the job, and a union contract that sets clear standards.

 

“This historic strike and ratification send a clear message: Legacy is now a union shop,” continued Barckert. “There will be no more unilateral decision-making by Legacy, no more shortchanging providers, and far more solidarity and strength for frontline workers.”

 

APPs already ended their strike on December 30 and began the process of returning to work as part of the tentative agreement.

 

The Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) represents a diverse community of more than 24,000 nurses and healthcare professionals throughout Oregon. Together, we use our collective power to advocate for critical issues impacting patients, nurses and healthcare professionals including a more effective, affordable and accessible healthcare system; better working conditions for all healthcare professionals; and healthier communities. For more information visit www.OregonRN.org.

 

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Legacy Advanced Practice Providers Ratify Historic First Union Contract After 29-Day Strike - 01/02/26

PORTLAND, Ore. — Legacy Health advanced practice providers (APPs) have overwhelmingly voted to ratify their first union contract, marking a historic victory for frontline healthcare workers and a major turning point in labor relations at Legacy Health. The contract includes across-the-board pay raises, accelerated timelines for raises, and new protections for APPs if Legacy makes unilateral decisions about the workplace.

 

The landmark agreement follows a 29-day strike that began December 2, when APPs walked off the job demanding respect for their work, competitive pay, and a sustainable future for patient care. The first contract is a clear demonstration of what healthcare workers can win when they stand together.

 

“We’re incredibly proud of what we accomplished together on the strike line,” said Megan Barckert, a nurse practitioner (NP) in oncology and member of the bargaining team. “Advanced practice providers make up 41% of all providers nationally, and that number is steadily growing. Our strike is a clear representation of this changing market. APPs are integral leaders within healthcare, and our voices will not be silenced.”

 

Over the course of the strike, Legacy management dramatically shifted their position. Prior to the strike, executives said they would not bargain or improve their “last, best, and final” offer. During the strike, however, Legacy APPs and management met numerous times at the bargaining table, ultimately reaching an improved second tentative agreement that delivers accelerated pay increases, a fourth raise, and new protections against unilateral workplace changes.

 

The ratified contract represents a breakthrough not only for APPs, but for workers across Legacy Health. Long considered a historically low–union density health system in Oregon, Legacy has undergone a dramatic transformation—especially in 2025.

 

While the Legacy APPs who were just on strike joined the Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) in December 2023, nearly 2,900 frontline Legacy workers—including registered nurses (RNs) and APPs—joined ONA in 2025 alone. This includes more than 2,300 RNs at Legacy Emanuel, Randall, and Good Samaritan hospitals who voted to unionize in January 2025, a campaign that was three decades in the making. Those workers are still bargaining their first contracts.

 

During the strike, APPs were joined by their colleagues from Legacy GoHealth and Legacy Pediatrics in “solidarity strikes,” an uncommon event in healthcare settings and a powerful demonstration of the growing unionization at Legacy. APPs at GoHealth and Pediatrics are among the groups that organized with ONA in 2025.

 

This shift reflects growing discontent among healthcare workers in an increasingly corporatized healthcare system—one that asks frontline caregivers to do more with less while patients wait longer for care, and executive compensation continues to rise. These issues are not unique to Legacy, but the scale of organizing and the number of first contracts being negotiated is.

 

The agreement comes more than two years after APPs joined ONA and follows over 18 months of bargaining.

 

Among other things, Key provisions of the historic contract include, among other things:

  • Across-the-board wage increases and clearer pay scales, moving multiple departments into higher pay tiers. The agreement represents meaningful progress toward competitive compensation, which will improve recruitment and retention.
  • Regular cost-of-living adjustments, increased extra-shift pay, and enhanced compensation for night and extended shifts.
  • Accelerated pay increases across the life of the contract, with no caps on raises, and an additional fourth raise.
  • Just-cause protections for discipline and termination, ensuring due process and fairness.
  • A new Labor–Management Committee to improve communication and proactively address workplace issues.

Perhaps most importantly, the contract ends an era of one-sided decision-making at Legacy. APPs now have enforceable rights, a real voice on the job, and a union contract that sets clear standards.

 

“This historic strike and ratification send a clear message: Legacy is now a union shop,” continued Barckert. “There will be no more unilateral decision-making by Legacy, no more shortchanging providers, and far more solidarity and strength for frontline workers.”

 

APPs already ended their strike on December 30 and began the process of returning to work as part of the tentative agreement.

 

The Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) represents a diverse community of more than 24,000 nurses and healthcare professionals throughout Oregon. Together, we use our collective power to advocate for critical issues impacting patients, nurses and healthcare professionals including a more effective, affordable and accessible healthcare system; better working conditions for all healthcare professionals; and healthier communities. For more information visit www.OregonRN.org.

 

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Striking APPs From Legacy Reach Second Tentative Agreement - 12/30/25

Portland, Ore. - Striking advanced practice providers (APPs) have reached a second tentative agreement with Legacy Health, marking a significant victory for the 135 frontline providers who have been on strike demanding a fair contract since December 2. As part of the agreement, the strike will end before the completion of the ratification vote, and APPs will return to work in the coming days.

 

This agreement represents a major shift by Legacy Health. When ONA members first issued their 10-day strike notice, Legacy stated they would not bargain. They did. Legacy then claimed they would not change their offer. They did. And after the first tentative agreement was overwhelmingly rejected by APPs, Legacy moved further—advancing the timing of raises along with other improvements.

 

In addition to across-the-board raises, key provisions of the second tentative agreement include a clarified provision on extra shift pay, enhanced compensation for night and extended shifts, and the creation of a Labor–Management Committee to improve communication and proactively address workplace issues.

 

If ratified, this agreement would be the first contract for Legacy APPs and would end Legacy’s ability to make unilateral decisions about critical workplace issues. The contract establishes just-cause protections for discipline and termination, ensuring due process and clear, enforceable standards.

 

If the contract is not ratified, Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) members and Legacy Health have agreed to a 90-day cooling-off period. During this time, ONA will not return to strike as negotiations continue.

 

APPs play a critical role in our healthcare system, standing on the frontlines, caring for Oregonians, and saving lives. If their contract is ratified, they will gain the full protections of a union, marking a significant milestone for healthcare workers in Oregon. Once again, APPs are leading the way and demonstrating what true solidarity and collective action look like.

 

ONA will not provide further comment until the ratification vote concludes.

 

The Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) represents a diverse community of more than 24,000 nurses and healthcare professionals throughout Oregon. Together, we use our collective power to advocate for critical issues impacting patients, nurses and healthcare professionals including a more effective, affordable and accessible healthcare system; better working conditions for all healthcare professionals; and healthier communities. For more information visit www.OregonRN.org.

 

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Striking APPs From Legacy Reach Second Tentative Agreement - 12/30/25

Portland, Ore. - Striking advanced practice providers (APPs) have reached a second tentative agreement with Legacy Health, marking a significant victory for the 135 frontline providers who have been on strike demanding a fair contract since December 2. As part of the agreement, the strike will end before the completion of the ratification vote, and APPs will return to work in the coming days.

 

This agreement represents a major shift by Legacy Health. When ONA members first issued their 10-day strike notice, Legacy stated they would not bargain. They did. Legacy then claimed they would not change their offer. They did. And after the first tentative agreement was overwhelmingly rejected by APPs, Legacy moved further—advancing the timing of raises along with other improvements.

 

In addition to across-the-board raises, key provisions of the second tentative agreement include a clarified provision on extra shift pay, enhanced compensation for night and extended shifts, and the creation of a Labor–Management Committee to improve communication and proactively address workplace issues.

 

If ratified, this agreement would be the first contract for Legacy APPs and would end Legacy’s ability to make unilateral decisions about critical workplace issues. The contract establishes just-cause protections for discipline and termination, ensuring due process and clear, enforceable standards.

 

If the contract is not ratified, Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) members and Legacy Health have agreed to a 90-day cooling-off period. During this time, ONA will not return to strike as negotiations continue.

 

APPs play a critical role in our healthcare system, standing on the frontlines, caring for Oregonians, and saving lives. If their contract is ratified, they will gain the full protections of a union, marking a significant milestone for healthcare workers in Oregon. Once again, APPs are leading the way and demonstrating what true solidarity and collective action look like.

 

ONA will not provide further comment until the ratification vote concludes.

 

The Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) represents a diverse community of more than 24,000 nurses and healthcare professionals throughout Oregon. Together, we use our collective power to advocate for critical issues impacting patients, nurses and healthcare professionals including a more effective, affordable and accessible healthcare system; better working conditions for all healthcare professionals; and healthier communities. For more information visit www.OregonRN.org.

 

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Legacy Agrees To Return To Mediation Following Rejection Of Tentative Agreement - 12/29/25

Portland, Ore. - Just two days after advanced practice providers (APPs) at Legacy Health overwhelmingly rejected the first tentative agreement, Legacy has agreed to return to mediation. 
 

Legacy APPs and Legacy management will meet with a federal mediator on Tuesday, December 30. 
 

The Oregon Nurses Association welcomes this development and views it as a necessary step forward. At the same time, we are clear-eyed about what must happen next. This round of mediation must be approached with urgency, seriousness, and a genuine commitment from Legacy management to negotiate in good faith—around the clock if necessary—until a fair agreement is reached. 
 

APPs want nothing more than a fair contract that supports recruitment and retention of experienced providers, respects the critical work we do, and allows us to deliver the highest quality patient care. 
 

Our patients, our coworkers, and the communities we serve all deserve a timely and fair resolution. 

The Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) represents a diverse community of more than 24,000 nurses and healthcare professionals throughout Oregon. Together, we use our collective power to advocate for critical issues impacting patients, nurses and healthcare professionals including a more effective, affordable and accessible healthcare system; better working conditions for all healthcare professionals; and healthier communities. For more information visit www.OregonRN.org.


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Legacy Agrees To Return To Mediation Following Rejection Of Tentative Agreement - 12/29/25

Portland, Ore. - Just two days after advanced practice providers (APPs) at Legacy Health overwhelmingly rejected the first tentative agreement, Legacy has agreed to return to mediation. 
 

Legacy APPs and Legacy management will meet with a federal mediator on Tuesday, December 30. 
 

The Oregon Nurses Association welcomes this development and views it as a necessary step forward. At the same time, we are clear-eyed about what must happen next. This round of mediation must be approached with urgency, seriousness, and a genuine commitment from Legacy management to negotiate in good faith—around the clock if necessary—until a fair agreement is reached. 
 

APPs want nothing more than a fair contract that supports recruitment and retention of experienced providers, respects the critical work we do, and allows us to deliver the highest quality patient care. 
 

Our patients, our coworkers, and the communities we serve all deserve a timely and fair resolution. 

The Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) represents a diverse community of more than 24,000 nurses and healthcare professionals throughout Oregon. Together, we use our collective power to advocate for critical issues impacting patients, nurses and healthcare professionals including a more effective, affordable and accessible healthcare system; better working conditions for all healthcare professionals; and healthier communities. For more information visit www.OregonRN.org.


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Legacy APPs Resoundingly Reject Tentative Agreement - 12/27/25

(Portland, Ore.) — With nearly 90 percent of eligible members voting, advanced practice providers (APPs) at Legacy Health have resoundingly rejected the tentative agreement reached on December 23. APPs rejected the agreement because of Legacy’s bad-faith bargaining, disrespect for their profession, uncompetitive wages, and bloated executive pay. The vote delivers a clear rebuke of Legacy’s offer, and the strike will continue with daily picketing.

 

APPs cited multiple reasons for rejecting the agreement, including: 
• Legacy’s lack of meaningful movement at the bargaining table since the strike began. 
• Legacy’s disrespect for advanced practice providers—frontline caregivers who deliver critical, lifesaving care to Oregonians every day. 
• A contract that would leave Legacy APPs far behind peers at other health systems, driving turnover and undermining patient care. 
• Legacy’s hypocrisy—publicly claiming financial hardship while continuing with lavish compensation for top executives and ignoring their frontline providers. 
 
Legacy’s Failure to Bargain in Good Faith 
Since issuing a strike notice, advanced practice providers (APPs) repeatedly offered to meet at any time and in any location to move negotiations forward. Legacy Health instead chose to delay bargaining and engage in bad-faith tactics. 

 

Legacy management has even publicly acknowledged—nearly boasting—that the tentative agreement did not materially improve after the strike began, despite APPs returning to the table again and again with meaningful compromises. 

 

In the same breath, Legacy claimed it “...remained committed throughout the process to reaching a mutually agreeable contract that supports advanced practice providers,...” while also admitting that “...the agreement is materially consistent with the offer presented on Nov. 20, prior to the strike being announced.” These contradictory statements cannot both be true. Rather than engaging in serious, productive negotiations, management played games at the bargaining table, dragged out the process, and issued inconsistent and misleading statements to the press—while frontline providers and patients were caught in the middle. 

 

The question should be asked of Legacy management: if you are committed to reaching a “mutually agreeable contract that supports APPs” why have you offered a deal that has not “materially” changed since the strike began?

 

This misleading approach to bargaining reflects a broader failure by Legacy to take this process seriously and a troubling disregard for the impact their decisions have on patient care. This is not leadership; it is avoidance—and every Oregonian should be concerned. 

 

Disrespect for APPs 
By refusing to offer wages that are competitive with APPs at other hospitals—and in some cases paying them less than other frontline caregivers within Legacy — management has once again demonstrated its disregard for its healthcare professionals. 

 

Advanced practice providers—including nurse practitioners, physician associates, and clinical nurse specialists—are highly trained clinicians who save lives, perform surgeries, and care for families every day. They deliver essential, lifesaving care across a wide range of settings and are critical to the health and safety of communities throughout Oregon. 

 

Legacy’s decision to undervalue this workforce—and its indifference when experienced APPs leave for other health systems—is a slap in the face and a clear sign of blatant disrespect. 

 

Uncompetitive Wages and APP Turnover 
Legacy has made false and misleading claims to the public about raises in this contract. In reality, some APPs would see little to no increases at all over the life of the agreement, and the entire unit would continue to lag behind other healthcare systems.

 

The proposed agreement would have left Legacy APPs 10% behind their counterparts at OHSU, and behind what Kaiser APPs have been offered—perpetuating a widening wage and standards gap that threatens the long-term stability of Legacy’s workforce. 

 

This disparity would inevitably drive experienced APPs out of the system, worsening patient care, increasing burnout among remaining staff, and inflating costs as Legacy is forced into a constant recruitment and retention cycle of its own making. When frontline providers are undervalued, patient care inevitably suffers. 

 

Legacy Executives’ Excessive Compensation 
Legacy executives repeatedly claim the health system is broke, but their own compensation tells a very different story. In 2024 alone, Legacy’s CEO was paid $3,861,658, while executive compensation across the system increased by 26%. 

 

These executives are not the ones delivering bedside care, staffing clinics, or keeping patients safe. Yet Legacy continues to funnel millions to administrators while refusing to adequately compensate the clinicians who provide care. This imbalance is not only insulting—it is reckless. 

 

Oregonians deserve a health system that prioritizes patients and frontline caregivers, not one that rewards executives while understaffing units and pushing experienced providers out the door. These priorities are not in line with what Oregonians expect and deserve from their healthcare systems. 

 

What’s Next 
The decisive rejection of this tentative agreement sends a clear message: Legacy APPs will not accept a contract that undervalues their work, drives turnover, and undermines patient care—especially while executives continue to reward themselves with outrageous salaries. We’re prepared to hold the line for as long as it takes to win the respect we deserve. 

 

APPs remain ready to return to the bargaining table immediately and have offered to bargain every day, with or without a mediator, starting tomorrow, Sunday, December 28. 

 

The path forward is clear—Legacy must stop delaying, negotiate in good faith, and present an offer that reflects the value of APPs and the needs of the communities they serve. 

 

Per ONA policy, we will not be sharing the vote totals.

 

The Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) represents a diverse community of more than 24,000 nurses and healthcare professionals throughout Oregon. Together, we use our collective power to advocate for critical issues impacting patients, nurses and healthcare professionals including a more effective, affordable and accessible healthcare system; better working conditions for all healthcare professionals; and healthier communities. For more information visit www.OregonRN.org.

 

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Legacy APPs Resoundingly Reject Tentative Agreement - 12/27/25

(Portland, Ore.) — With nearly 90 percent of eligible members voting, advanced practice providers (APPs) at Legacy Health have resoundingly rejected the tentative agreement reached on December 23. APPs rejected the agreement because of Legacy’s bad-faith bargaining, disrespect for their profession, uncompetitive wages, and bloated executive pay. The vote delivers a clear rebuke of Legacy’s offer, and the strike will continue with daily picketing.

 

APPs cited multiple reasons for rejecting the agreement, including: 
• Legacy’s lack of meaningful movement at the bargaining table since the strike began. 
• Legacy’s disrespect for advanced practice providers—frontline caregivers who deliver critical, lifesaving care to Oregonians every day. 
• A contract that would leave Legacy APPs far behind peers at other health systems, driving turnover and undermining patient care. 
• Legacy’s hypocrisy—publicly claiming financial hardship while continuing with lavish compensation for top executives and ignoring their frontline providers. 
 
Legacy’s Failure to Bargain in Good Faith 
Since issuing a strike notice, advanced practice providers (APPs) repeatedly offered to meet at any time and in any location to move negotiations forward. Legacy Health instead chose to delay bargaining and engage in bad-faith tactics. 

 

Legacy management has even publicly acknowledged—nearly boasting—that the tentative agreement did not materially improve after the strike began, despite APPs returning to the table again and again with meaningful compromises. 

 

In the same breath, Legacy claimed it “...remained committed throughout the process to reaching a mutually agreeable contract that supports advanced practice providers,...” while also admitting that “...the agreement is materially consistent with the offer presented on Nov. 20, prior to the strike being announced.” These contradictory statements cannot both be true. Rather than engaging in serious, productive negotiations, management played games at the bargaining table, dragged out the process, and issued inconsistent and misleading statements to the press—while frontline providers and patients were caught in the middle. 

 

The question should be asked of Legacy management: if you are committed to reaching a “mutually agreeable contract that supports APPs” why have you offered a deal that has not “materially” changed since the strike began?

 

This misleading approach to bargaining reflects a broader failure by Legacy to take this process seriously and a troubling disregard for the impact their decisions have on patient care. This is not leadership; it is avoidance—and every Oregonian should be concerned. 

 

Disrespect for APPs 
By refusing to offer wages that are competitive with APPs at other hospitals—and in some cases paying them less than other frontline caregivers within Legacy — management has once again demonstrated its disregard for its healthcare professionals. 

 

Advanced practice providers—including nurse practitioners, physician associates, and clinical nurse specialists—are highly trained clinicians who save lives, perform surgeries, and care for families every day. They deliver essential, lifesaving care across a wide range of settings and are critical to the health and safety of communities throughout Oregon. 

 

Legacy’s decision to undervalue this workforce—and its indifference when experienced APPs leave for other health systems—is a slap in the face and a clear sign of blatant disrespect. 

 

Uncompetitive Wages and APP Turnover 
Legacy has made false and misleading claims to the public about raises in this contract. In reality, some APPs would see little to no increases at all over the life of the agreement, and the entire unit would continue to lag behind other healthcare systems.

 

The proposed agreement would have left Legacy APPs 10% behind their counterparts at OHSU, and behind what Kaiser APPs have been offered—perpetuating a widening wage and standards gap that threatens the long-term stability of Legacy’s workforce. 

 

This disparity would inevitably drive experienced APPs out of the system, worsening patient care, increasing burnout among remaining staff, and inflating costs as Legacy is forced into a constant recruitment and retention cycle of its own making. When frontline providers are undervalued, patient care inevitably suffers. 

 

Legacy Executives’ Excessive Compensation 
Legacy executives repeatedly claim the health system is broke, but their own compensation tells a very different story. In 2024 alone, Legacy’s CEO was paid $3,861,658, while executive compensation across the system increased by 26%. 

 

These executives are not the ones delivering bedside care, staffing clinics, or keeping patients safe. Yet Legacy continues to funnel millions to administrators while refusing to adequately compensate the clinicians who provide care. This imbalance is not only insulting—it is reckless. 

 

Oregonians deserve a health system that prioritizes patients and frontline caregivers, not one that rewards executives while understaffing units and pushing experienced providers out the door. These priorities are not in line with what Oregonians expect and deserve from their healthcare systems. 

 

What’s Next 
The decisive rejection of this tentative agreement sends a clear message: Legacy APPs will not accept a contract that undervalues their work, drives turnover, and undermines patient care—especially while executives continue to reward themselves with outrageous salaries. We’re prepared to hold the line for as long as it takes to win the respect we deserve. 

 

APPs remain ready to return to the bargaining table immediately and have offered to bargain every day, with or without a mediator, starting tomorrow, Sunday, December 28. 

 

The path forward is clear—Legacy must stop delaying, negotiate in good faith, and present an offer that reflects the value of APPs and the needs of the communities they serve. 

 

Per ONA policy, we will not be sharing the vote totals.

 

The Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) represents a diverse community of more than 24,000 nurses and healthcare professionals throughout Oregon. Together, we use our collective power to advocate for critical issues impacting patients, nurses and healthcare professionals including a more effective, affordable and accessible healthcare system; better working conditions for all healthcare professionals; and healthier communities. For more information visit www.OregonRN.org.

 

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