Public pressure pushes Providence into mediation; HR Nurses enter 41st day of strike
File Photo - Nurses gather in Hood River for a 3-day strike at Providence in June, 2024.
CCCNews Staff Report
Hood River, Ore., Feb. 19, 2025 — Nurses with Providence Hospitals across Oregon are into their 41st day of a strike for better wages, improved working conditions, and safer staffing levels.
They are now missing paychecks as negotiations are dragging on.
Mediation between Providence and the Oregon Nurses Association was scheduled to begin Tuesday, Feb. 18 and today, Feb. 19. This decision follows mounting public pressure, including letters from 11 Portland City Councilors and calls from Governor Kotek and Oregon legislators urging Providence to negotiate in good faith.
"We have widespread support from all across the state because the issues that we're striking for impact the communities we serve," said Virginia Smith, an RN from Providence Willamette Falls and leader of the bargaining team. "When Oregonians come into our care, they expect and deserve safely staffed hospitals and frontline caregivers who have the time to address each patient's needs."
Striking nursess were still hard at it on Monday outside of Providence’ Hood River Hospital.
“When the employees are treated well and they feel like they're supported and cared for by their employer, that just rolls downhill and forward to the people that we care for,” said Davina Craig, a nurse at Providence Hood River Hospital. “We come back better and stronger to deliver the best possible care at the most local level.”
“We’ve been working on an expired contract for over nine months... We’ve always had retro pay... and this time they just said ‘No.’ No explanation, no rationale—just no,” said Craig, while striking out front of the Hospital in Hood River on Monday, Feb. 17.
Providence’s most recent offer to nurses on the weekend of Feb. 8 & 9 was resoundingly defeated in a vote amongst ONA members.
“Across seven of the eight bargaining units, the union reported Friday 92% turnout for a ratification vote with 83% no votes,” according to fiercehealthcare.com. “The vote for those at the final hospital, Providence Medford Medical Center, was delayed a day due to inclement weather, but on Saturday joined in rejecting the offer.”
“Elected officials from across Oregon continue to publicly pressure Providence to settle a fair contract. Most recently, 11 Portland City Councilors sent a letter to Providence executives, urging them to return to bargaining and settle a fair contract,” according to an Oregon Nursing Association press release. “Throughout the strike, other elected officials including Governor Kotek, legislators from across the state, and seven of Oregon's members of congress have all called on Providence to negotiate in good faith and settle a contract.”
Breaking it all down
Background: Davina Craig, a nurse at Providence Hood River Hospital, and her colleagues have been on strike for five weeks.
Key Issues:
Retroactive Pay for 2024: Nurses have always received retro pay, but the employer has refused it this time without any explanation.
Additional Annual Leave: Requested to help nurses recharge from the emotionally and physically taxing nature of their work.
Healthcare Changes: Nurses are protesting changes that have negatively impacted all employees' healthcare, reducing the quality of benefits.
Contract Alignment: They seek contract consistency across eight Oregon hospitals to address shared issues under Providence's multibillion-dollar management.
Challenges in Negotiation:
Negotiations are described as authoritarian, with decisions made by executives outside Oregon, creating inefficiency and a lack of respect.
There’s no direct communication, with layers of lawyers mediating responses.
Community and Patient Impact:
Patients are being cared for by replacement nurses from other states with different care standards.
Striking nurses emphasize that better working conditions lead to better patient care.
Financial Hardship:
Nurses have not received a paycheck since January 17, relying on savings and union relief checks.
Support and Solidarity:
A fundraiser is planned for February 22 at The Ruins, and donations are accepted through GoFundMe and Venmo (@HRStrikeRN).
Community support is vital, and this is the first Oregon nurses’ strike involving doctors, highlighting shared challenges in healthcare staffing and benefits.
