The potential strike at Providence medical centers in Portland, Oregon, marks a significant moment in healthcare labor relations, as doctors and healthcare staff press for better working conditions.
The Oregon Nurses Association ONA cites ongoing issues with staffing, competitive pay, and employee well-being as driving forces behind the strike vote, which could become Oregon’s first doctors’ strike.
Since November 2023, bargaining sessions have continued with little resolution, despite involvement from a federal mediator after a large nurses’ strike in June involving over 3,000 nurses.
Providence has expressed strong opposition, criticizing the strike authorization as prioritizing union power over patient care and warning of potential disruptions if healthcare providers walk out. ONA, however, argues that the authorization is a step toward ensuring safe, high-quality care through adequate staffing and better wages.
Healthcare staff at Providence, including nurses and midwives, describe the pressures of understaffing and burnout, particularly exacerbated since the pandemic, as major challenges.
Many providers say their concerns about work-life balance and retirement benefits have been largely unaddressed, leading to frustration and the decision to authorize a strike as a means to advocate for essential changes.