Providence Day 3 Update

January 12, 2025
NEWS RELEASE

PROVIDENCE DAY 3 UPDATE

All eight Providence hospitals in Oregon report health care operations are going well. We’re receiving many expressions of gratitude from patients for both our Providence nurses and caregivers who are choosing to work, and for some 2,000 temporary replacement workers.

Today, we are continuing to work on resuming negotiations. Earlier, we provided summary details of the proposals on the tables that union leaders have rejected. Going forward, we will be exchanging proposals through the federal mediators, who will work with both union representatives and Providence ministries to try and reach agreements.

Providence is aware that union leaders insist on holding negotiations with all tables or no tables. That is regrettable, especially for physician tables. There is no replacement work force for physicians. That has an impact on patient care. 

Going forward, we plan to work with mediators to establish a schedule. As we said Saturday, our hospitals in Medford and Newberg are furthest along and are ready to schedule sessions with the federal mediator and ONA. We anticipate that other hospitals and bargaining units will be ready soon. 

We hope union leaders put the interests of our nurses first – not just their desire for increased power – and their bargaining teams at each hospital work to reach agreements as rapidly as possible. 

FACT SHEET DAY 3

 Union leaders chose to strike, rejecting strong offers at each bargaining table. A summary:

• A 20% raise over the next three years for acute-care RNs with a double-digit pay increase after contract ratification — before overtime, holiday pay or other incentives. Keep in mind that a typical nurse working full time makes $125,000 per year.
• Up to $5,000 in ratification bonuses for acute-care RNs whose contracts are expired.
• A physician contract proposing compensation increases/incentives, which for many full-time represented physicians could exceed $20,000 to $30,000. Many full-time represented physicians at Providence already earn more than $300,000 per year. 

Union leaders called a physician strike knowing it would impact patient care. ONA is fully responsible for any disruptions patients might experience during the physician strike.