Health Care Providers From PeaceHealth Vote Yes! -08/18/22
Eugene, Ore. - Health care providers from four Eugene-area clinics operated by PeaceHealth overwhelmingly voted to form a union in an election supervised by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). The thirteen physicians, nurse practitioners and physician assistants have been organizing, with guidance from American Federation of Teachers (AFT), for the past year. They are the first clinics to unionize in Lane County.
“Despite opposition from administration, we remain united in our endeavor and today’s vote reflects that. I look forward to a truly collaborative and transparent relationship with PeaceHealth and a return to our full capacity as a clinic,” said Morgan Garvin, MD.
The new group, PeaceHealth Providers United (PHPU), will focus their collective bargaining power on addressing burnout, understaffing, safe patient care and ensuring access to care for the region’s most vulnerable patients. "This is an important step forward. We came together to support each other to achieve a safe, fair and balanced work environment,” said Wendy Lang, NP. “We want fair pay, and reasonable workloads that allow us to provide high-quality medical care while also maintaining our individual health and well-being."
“Forming a union provides us the opportunity to better advocate for our patients and ourselves. It’s exciting to work towards a common goal and see progress. I am very much looking forward to what more we can accomplish for improved care in our community,” said Kate Swank, MD. PHPU will partner with the Pacific Northwest Hospital Medicine Association (PNWHMA), the first hospitalists union in the country, which is represented by the American Federation of Teachers (Local 6552) and serviced by the Oregon Nurses Association.
The providers organized across two urgent care clinics in Eugene, one urgent care clinic in Springfield, and the walk-in clinic located at Woodfield Station in Eugene.
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