Striking Nurses rally outside Providence Milwaukie Hospital, on June 18, 2024, part of a three-day strike at six hospitals across Oregon.
Kristian Foden-Vencil / OPB
Jennifer Gentry, chief nursing officer for Providence’s Central Division, speaks at a press conference held at the Providence Office Park in Northeast Portland, June 18, 2024. More than 3,000 nurses at six Providence hospitals across Oregon walked off the job Tuesday morning as part of a planned three-day strike.
Amelia Templeton / OPB
Emergency room nurse Nicole Hudson walks the picket line outside Providence Willamette Falls Hospital, Oregon City, Ore., on June 18, 2024.
Kristian Foden-Vencil / OPB
Nurses strike outside Providence Willamette Falls Hospital, Oregon City, Ore., on June 18, 2024.
Kristian Foden-Vencil / OPB
Registered nurse Susan Winkelman waves to cars outside Providence Milwaukie Hospital while on the picket line on June 18, 2024.
Kristian Foden-Vencil / OPB
Nurses and supporters picket in front of the Providence St. Vincent Medical Center in Portland, June 18, 2024, part of a three-day strike at six hospitals across Oregon.
Kristyna Wentz-Graff / OPB
“We’re the backbone of this hospital. I wish Providence would recognize that,” says Whitney Martin, a cardiology RN on the picket line at Providence St. Vincent Medical Center in Portland.
Kristyna Wentz-Graff / OPB
Hundreds stood on the picket line on Tuesday morning at Providence St. Vincent Medical Center in Portland.
Kristyna Wentz-Graff / OPB
Nurses and supporters on the picket line.
Kristyna Wentz-Graff / OPB
(Left to right) Dara Burke, Chelsea Hudzinski, and Jordan Bent wave to cars passing on Southwest Barnes Road.
Kristyna Wentz-Graff / OPB
Megan Anderson, an RN, stands on the picket line.
Kristyna Wentz-Graff / OPB
Nurses and supporters picket line Southwest Barnes Road in front of Providence St. Vincent Medical Center.
Kristyna Wentz-Graff / OPB
Nurses and their supporters picket in front of the Providence St. Vincent Medical Center.
Kristyna Wentz-Graff / OPB
Whitney Martin, right, a cardiology RN, wore an emoji costume to express her opinion on the picket line.
Kristyna Wentz-Graff / OPB
Megan Anderson, an RN, encourages passing cars to honk.
Kristyna Wentz-Graff / OPB
Jennifer Gentry, chief nursing officer for the Providence’s Central Division, speaks at a press conference held at the Providence Office Park in Northeast Portland, June 18, 2024.
Amelia Templeton / OPB
More than 3,000 nurses at six Providence hospitals across Oregon went on strike on Tuesday. The walkout comes after months of contract negotiations between the hospital system and the Oregon Nurses Association.
Outside the Willamette Falls Medical Center in Oregon City, scores of nurses lined the street cheering and soliciting honks of support. Their signs read “Heroes treated like zeros,” and “Fair Contract Now.”
Emergency room nurse Nicole Hudson, who is on the bargaining committee, said that Providence has offered raises of about 10% in the first year, “which is significant. But after that it was about 3% a year, and that doesn’t even keep up with cost-of-living increases,” Hudson said.
At Providence Milwaukie, registered nurse Susan Winkelman said she’s on the line to try to get Providence administration back to the negotiating table. She’s worried about changing patient-nurse ratios and pay.
“In Oregon, Providence does not pay market wages. So there are nurses at OHSU and nurses at Kaiser who are making substantially more,” Winkelman said.
She said the proposed pay increase Providence has offered would bring them up to the same level in the first year. But by the end of the three-year contract, Winkelman said, Providence wages would slip back again compared to other organizations.
Jennifer Gentry, chief nursing officer for Providence’s Central Division, speaks at a press conference held at the Providence Office Park in Northeast Portland, June 18, 2024.
Amelia Templeton / OPB
Asked about wage increases at a press conference Tuesday morning, chief nursing officer for Providence’s Central Division Jennifer Gentry said they recently put comprehensive proposals in front of all six hospitals.
“Unfortunately, rather than responding to those proposals, the Oregon Nurses Association gave us a strike notice,” she said. “So we don’t know where they stand in relation to those latest offers.”
Along with issues around wages, the union said the implementation of Oregon’s hospital staffing law is a key sticking point. The Oregon Nurses Association sent a cease-and-desist letter to Providence on June 14, saying the health system was violating the safe-staffing law, requiring a certain patient-to-nurse ratio. Providence said it is working to build out those plans and follow the law.
Emergency room nurse Nicole Hudson on the picket line outside Providence Willamette Falls Hospital, Oregon City, Ore., on June 18, 2024.
Kristian Foden-Vencil / OPB
Other sticking points include paid time off and health care benefits.
Providence St. Vincent in Northwest Portland, Providence Newberg, Providence Willamette Falls in Oregon City, Providence Medford, Providence Hood River and Providence Milwaukie are all impacted by the strike
Gentry said that while Providence had to divert ambulances for a couple of hours Tuesday morning while they brought in replacement workers, the transition overall went smoothly at all six campuses.
“Providence nurses ensured that the handover went well and that our replacement nurses had all of the information they needed to ensure that we were able to continue providing excellent care,” she said.
Providence officials said they had to guarantee five days of work in order to recruit replacement workers, and that they’ll invite striking nurses back as needed after the walkout concludes.
Both the union and Providence are encouraging patients to continue to seek emergency services at any of these hospitals, as needed, regardless of the strike action. Providence said all sites are open and serving patients.