A full month past our contract expiration, mediation did not result in a tentative agreement. At our 24th bargaining session in eight months, our team passed proposals to management on all remaining items including our economic package. We held firm on wages and our key bargaining priorities, and made it clear to management we must have a contract that will retain, recruit, and respect nurses.  With the massive turnout of nurses and supporters at our informational picket, we know our members are ready to stand together! 

Management provided no counter proposals on any of our top priorities at this mediation session.  We did reach tentative agreements on 2 Articles and 2 MOUs regarding job postings and transportation. Management has stated they will provide a counter proposal on our economic package, staffing, workplace safety, and hopefully other items next week. We only have one more mediation session scheduled on 8/9, and it is unclear if agreement will be reached. 

“It is disheartening to see that our top priorities are not being taken seriously. We emphasized the urgent need for adequate staffing levels to ensure patient safety and quality care.  Additionally, fair compensation was raised as a critical issue, as nurses deserve to be properly recognized for their invaluable contributions.  OHSU management must prioritize addressing these concerns and take proactive steps to ensure the well-being and satisfaction of their nursing staff, who play a vital role in the success of the organization.” -Tony Kyle, ED nurse

We urgently need all represented nurses to attend the All Member Meetings Friday and Saturday (8/4 & 8/5) to determine the future of this contract and our next steps to win a fair agreement. With so much at stake, it’s essential for members to have a collective discussion with each other in-person.  Taking collective action is more than an individual decision, it’s up to everyone to discuss and decide together what we’re willing to fight for.  The first meetings were held last night and this morning with nurses overflowing the amphitheaters.  

“The meeting was informative. It helped me understand the negotiating process and where we are in it. Coming together in this fashion builds solidarity and let’s our bargaining team know that we as a unit and as individuals are behind them and willing to fight for a fair contract.” -Desiree Artz, 13K nurse

If impasse is reached at the bargaining table, nurses across the hospital may call for a strike vote.  If that happens there will be opportunities for all members to ask additional questions, so please stay tuned. To take part in a ratification vote or strike vote, everyone must update your information to opt into email and text messaging with ONA ASAP.  

In OHSU’s mission statement, it reads “As Oregon’s only comprehensive academic health center, OHSU is and should be the standard-bearer for quality. We are looked to by the community — and by extension the nation and the world — to establish the benchmarks for quality and to model behavior that adheres to those standards.” 

Sadly, the decisions of OHSU executives have not lived up to this mission. In the end, we must turn OHSU into the high-quality public hospital that all Oregonians deserve. Our ability to do that is as strong as the 3150 AURN nurses we have who are willing to fight for it, side by side with the thousands of AFSCME colleagues, providers, patients and larger community who will stand with us.  We can turn OHSU around, and make it a place we are all proud to work at. OHSU works, because we do.