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With 2nd strike looming, nurses at PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Home Care Services speak out hours ahead of contract mediation with PeaceHealth executives.
Nurse Solidarity Action and Press Conference
Wednesday, April 24 at 9 a.m.
Public sidewalks near PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center Riverbend’s main entrance
3333 Riverbend Dr, Springfield, OR 97477
WHAT: Home health and hospice nurses at PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Home Care Services, elected leaders and community allies are holding a solidarity action April 24 to speak about the importance of local home care services ahead of a contract mediation session with PeaceHealth executives. Nurses have spent more than a year fighting for a fair contract to address record turnover and job vacancies at PeaceHealth’s home health and hospice agency–the region’s largest home health service provider.
On April 16, nurses voted to authorize an open-ended strike against PeaceHealth to protest PeaceHealth’s unlawful unfair labor practices (ULPs) and reach a fair contract agreement that improves community healthcare. Wednesday’s solidarity action precedes a scheduled contract mediation session between Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) nurse leaders and PeaceHealth executives at Riverbend. Nurses and local elected officials will speak and take media questions at the event. Members of Oregon’s Congressional delegation have also taken action to support nurses and sent a letter to PeaceHealth executives on April 23 calling for a “fair settlement that demonstrates the respect that healthcare workers deserve.”
WHEN: Wednesday, April 24 at 9 a.m.
WHERE: Public sidewalks near PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center Riverbend’s main entrance. (3333 Riverbend Dr, Springfield, OR 97477). Near the intersection of Cardinal Way and MLK Jr. Pkwy.
WHO: ONA nurses with PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Home Care Services and Riverbend, elected officials and community allies are scheduled to speak, including
- Eugene Mayor Lucy Vinis
- Lane County commissioner Laurie Trieger
- Lane County commissioner Heather Buch
- Springfield city councilor Kori Rodley
- Eugene Springfield IAFF Local 851 trustee Brett Deedon
- ONA bargaining unit chair Jo Turner, RN, hospice nurse at PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Home Care Services
- ONA bargaining unit chair Chris Rompala, RN, nurse at PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center Riverbend
WHY: Local home health and hospice nurses have endured 45+ contract bargaining sessions with PeaceHealth executives since Feb. 2023 including six sessions with a federal mediator. After holding a limited duration strike Feb. 10 - 24, nurses have voted to approve an open-ended strike to protest PeaceHealth’s unlawful unfair labor practices (ULPs) and reach a fair contract agreement that improves community healthcare. Despite nurses and community leaders’ best efforts, PeaceHealth executives continue demanding local nurses accept nearly 5% lower pay than PeaceHealth pays hospital nurses in Eugene/Springfield and hospital and home care nurses in Florence–despite both groups of home care nurses sharing managers and staff meetings and regularly caring for the same patients.
PeaceHealth’s continued disrespect towards local nurses and their patients is driving nurses to leave–threatening our community’s health and exacerbating the care shortage. The nurse bargaining team intends to work towards a positive resolution in mediation but will call for a strike if they believe it is necessary to move PeaceHealth to meet the needs of patients, providers and our community. If a strike is called, ONA will provide our community and PeaceHealth with a 10-day notice to allow PeaceHealth executives adequate time to connect patients to alternate care options or to join us at the table and reach a fair agreement.
The ONA represents more than 90 frontline nurses at PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Home Care Services and nearly 1500 nurses at PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center Riverbend.