After declaring impasse and completing the 7-day costing window, on Wednesday, Aug. 15, all final offers and associated costs were submitted by our bargaining team and management to the Employment Relations Board.
That same evening The Oregonian broke the news, about the acquisition of Legacy Health System. We believe OHSU had planned
to release this news the day after our final offers were due. OHSU is purchasing the entire health system including seven hospitals, other
facilities, clinics and subsidiaries with over 13,000 employees. OHSU executives plan to spend $1,500,000,000 on this. Our final offer
will cost management 5% of their $4,000,000,000 operation.
With this enormous news about our employer, OHSU nurses need assurances from management regarding how this will affect our work. The best way for management to do this is by coming
to a fair agreement that respects, retains, and recruits nurses. They made one attempt on Wednesday night before news broke of the merger. Their final offer increased $0.50 on base wages in the first year, and the bonus to agree not to strike was
increased $1500 for nurses over 0.5 FTE. They also increased their offer for year 2 and 3 by half a percent each year. See our updated side by side comparison of all remaining items up for negotiation.
In April, we asked OHSU CFO Lawrence Furnstahl, at the bargaining table if they were "aware of any major acquisitions that could impact OHSU's finances or negotiations with ONA." We asked because
they were not transparent on their financial investments. Furnstahl was quick to share the details of partnering with Columbia Memorial Hospital, attempting to acquire Salem Health, and successfully purchasing Adventist, and OHSU Hillsboro. “I don’t
want to say no,” Furnstahl said, “we have a history of partnering.” When asked again for a simple yes or no answer, Furnstahl replied with a definitive “no”.
Management has not yet demonstrated they have all our priorities in mind at the
bargaining table, even with their "final offer". We ask that they adjust their priorities toward what frontline workers deal with every day, especially considering this huge change. If they intend to be the employer of over 13,000 more people, they
need to start by being a good employer to our nurses that keep OHSU functioning every day.
It is critical that nurses have a voice in the priorities of OHSU. OHSU cannot be OHSU without its nurses.
We are calling on all AURN folks to attend a strike school ASAP. They are in-person and we now have virtual strike school options! (Zoom link will be sent next week) We ask that every nurse take the time to have a one-on-one conversation with someone you respect to discuss the very real possibility of going on strike to make
real change happen at OHSU. This is a very serious decision that requires thought and collective action. We must have each other’s backs now more than ever as we become a part of a 10-hospital system. Once you’ve had a chance to review the items below,
and feel ready to do so, please complete our Strike Survey at one of the AURN Strike Schools or complete it with a CAT member from your
unit. If you don’t know who your CAT members are, email aurnlaborreps@oregonrn.org. Be sure to read the following:
In a YouTube video posted to OHSU’s channel, OHSU President Danny Jacobs said that “we are committed to creating an inclusive, empowering, and welcoming environment that attracts,
educates and retains world-class healthcare education and science professionals as well as learners.” We have not seen this in OHSU’s final offer or in the way they have conducted these negotiations. As nurses burn out and safe staffing withers, our
executives make bold moves without regard to our priorities. We demand they do better.
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