Oregon’s largest healthcare workers strike, involving nearly 5,000 workers, including nurses, physicians, and other healthcare professionals. This marks the largest nurses and healthcare workers strike in state history, according to the Oregon Nurses Association (ONA). The strike follows ongoing contract negotiations between ONA and Providence Health, with workers voicing concerns over understaffing, wages, benefits, and working conditions.
Healthcare workers cite multiple areas of concern
The primary cause of the strike is a dispute over staffing issues, which healthcare workers argue are leading to longer wait times, increased workloads, and compromised patient care. The ONA claims that Providence Health is not meeting state-mandated staffing standards. In response, Providence Health has offered pay increases, including a 20% raise over three years for acute-care nurses and up to $5,000 ratification bonuses. However, the union argues these offers do not sufficiently address staffing and safety concerns.
Previous Labor Actions:
This strike follows a similar labor action in June 2024, when over 3,000 nurses at six Providence hospitals in Oregon went on strike for three days over similar staffing and working condition issues. The strike also adds to the ongoing difficulties for patients related to the termination of Aetna’s in-network coverage at Providence facilities.
Affected Facilities:
The strike affects nearly 5,000 workers across 14 Providence Health facilities in Oregon, including major centers like Providence St. Vincent Medical Center and Providence Women’s Clinics. This strike is historic as it also includes doctors, making it the first doctors’ strike in Oregon’s history. Healthcare workers impacted by the strike include hospitalists, physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners, and more.
Impact on Healthcare:
The most significant disruptions are expected at Providence St. Vincent Medical Center, where the hospital will limit patient admissions, particularly for those requiring hospitalist care. With 60-70 physicians participating in the strike, the hospital will treat fewer patients, reducing the number of patients from 450 to about 250-275. Emergency departments are expected to experience longer wait times, and ambulances may be diverted to other facilities.
Additionally, obstetric services will be disrupted, with three of Providence’s women’s clinics closed during the strike. Routine procedures and outpatient surgeries may also be rescheduled. Patients will be notified in advance if their appointments or procedures are affected.
What Patients Can Do:
Patients are urged to contact Providence facilities directly to check if their appointments or procedures will be delayed or rescheduled. In light of the strike and the ongoing flu surge, Providence has warned of significant risks to healthcare delivery. Patients may face delays in critical care, including procedures requiring hospitalist support. Patients with Aetna insurance should also be aware of a separate issue, as Aetna’s in-network coverage for Providence facilities ended on January 1, 2025, due to a dispute over pricing.
Overall, this strike is expected to have significant impacts on healthcare services across Oregon, affecting both patients and medical professionals.