After failure to reach an agreement despite months of negotiations, nurses are making their contract fight public 

WHAT: Frontline nurses who work at Providence Medford will host an informational picket about raising healthcare standards for nurses, patients and our communities on Wednesday, May 1, 2024. The nurses—represented by the Oregon Nurses Association (ONA)—will be joined by worker advocates and community allies. 

ONA represents more than 4,700 frontline nurses working in nine Providence Health System facilities from Portland to Medford. Nurses are standing together to raise standards for nurses, patients and communities within Providence--Oregon’s largest health care system and one of the state’s largest corporations. 

WHEN: May 1, 2024 
Informational Picketing from 4-7 p.m.   
Speakers: 4 p.m.
Times are approximate

WHERE: On sidewalks outside Providence Medford Medical Center, 1111 Crater Lake Ave., Medford 

WHO: ONA frontline nurses will be picketing alongside worker advocates and community allies. Bargaining unit chair Vicki Knudsen, RN, will be joined by other nurses to talk about the challenges they face.

WHY: Nurses at Providence Medford began bargaining with management in January but their contract expired in March. While they’ve made progress on some lower-priority bargaining topics, nurses are frustrated with the disappointing counterproposals Providence has offered for their top issues. 
• Adding RNs for Safe Patient Assignments: Providence frequently doubles patient assignments during meal periods, with assignments as high as eight patients for one nurse, and our RNs seek safe assignments throughout every shift.
• Paid Time Off (PTO): Providence RNs are below market standards for PTO by more than 20-30 hours.
• Market Competitive Wages & Differentials: Current wages are at or 50% below market for caregivers at the Northwest’s largest health system.
• Market Competitive Health Benefits: Deductibles and out-of-pocket max for ONA and ONA-affiliated caregivers are up to $6,000 more per year than competitor health systems.

ONA nurses are picketing to improve patient safety by addressing Providence’s staffing crisis and raising standards to recruit and retain caregivers. Despite nurses’ sacrifices, Providence has left hundreds of frontline nurses working without the safety and security of a contract. In addition to Providence Medford, nurses at Providence St. Vincent, Providence Newberg, Providence Hood River and Providence Willamette Falls are working under expired contracts. The contract for nurses at Providence Milwaukie will expire at the end of May. 

Nurses at Providence St. Vincent and Providence Newberg have already held strike votes and authorized their bargaining team to call for strikes if necessary. 

The community is encouraged to attend the informational picket to show support for the caregivers they rely on. 

Note: An informational picket is not a strike or work stoppage. It is a demonstration of solidarity to Providence’s administrators and a promise to our community that nurses, elected leaders and allies are united to raise health care standards at Providence and throughout Oregon.