We are urgently updating all AURN members of what transpired with mediation Friday night into yesterday. We met with management for over 14 hours Friday, for the third day in a row. We called it a night and told management we had no movement left to offer, after they refused to properly address many of our top priorities, including differentials, wages, retro pay, staffing, and safety. After we had packed up and gone home, leaving the mediated bargaining session—management emailed at nearly midnight a proposal that they hope will split our solidarity and break our momentum. Before our bargaining team could even consider the proposal, management communicated publicly only a partial report of their offer, leaving out critical details.

They are trying to get us to give up on our priorities and the lasting changes that are needed to improve our contract, in exchange for a one-time lump sum payment - with strings attached.
This is a thinly veiled attempt to break our solidarity and momentum. 

Previously, they offered a package deal, which if not accepted would expire on 9/17.  We did not agree, so they then gave us an even larger package deal. They gave us a new deadline of 9/18 to agree to all terms or they will not provide a one-time 10K bonus for 0.5 FTE and above, and 5K for everyone else. What they also didn’t tell you about the $10K/5K bonus is that they threatened to decrease it every day this week if we don’t give up everything else unresolved and concede on differentials, retro pay, and much more. This level of disregard towards the collective bargaining process will not result in an agreement. We refuse to engage in such behavior. Our bargaining team met yesterday to review the offer and notified them that if management is prepared to make serious movement to reach an agreement, we are open to further mediation. 

If we can reach a tentative agreement, all members will be able to review all the details, full copies of articles, and will get to vote on whether the membership will agree to it or not. In the meantime, strike vote results will be announced tomorrow.

Ready to Bargain! Ready to Strike! Rally

We are calling on the entire campus community and supporters from around the metro area to join us for our rally tomorrow 9/18 1130 -1400 at Elizabeth Caruthers Park on the waterfront! Now more than ever we need to show the OHSU administration that we stand together.  If you cannot attend the rally, wear your union colors, Ready to Bargain Ready to Strike buttons, talk to your family, friends, and community, and continue to prepare for going on strike.

The Strings that are Attached…

Some key items management is demanding we give up in exchange for a bonus:

• Retropay: They are refusing Retropay when we know our members will not ratify an agreement without this.

• Differentials & Wages: They want us to continue to earn below-market night shift differential, certification pay, on-call rates, and no further movement on other differentials.  Nurses can do the math and know that base wages plus the differentials they are offering still put us below the market.  The loss we would take here far exceeds a one-time diminishing 10k/5k bonus.

• Shift Incentives: They are still demanding we have a Prescheduled CNI instead of CNI+ to actually address huge staffing shortages in the moment with last-minute sick calls, etc.

• Safety: Management refuses to take immediate steps to improve workplace safety such as the expansion of the Code Green team to prevent escalation and violence, in-person self-defense training, and increased staffing for DPS to provide full 24/7 coverage for the emergency department.  Currently, they only are offering to “endeavor to”, i.e. maybe try to improve each of those things.  When it comes to violence in our workplace, we need these improvements now.

• Staffing: Management refuses to fully address long-standing staffing crisis in ambulatory where we need to be able to assess data and have baseline FTE increased.  We cannot accept the status quo in ambulatory.  For the entire hospital, they refuse to provide additional paid release time to UBNPC members specifically when a staffing plan is not in compliance with the law.  This release time would allow nurses to actually help management not violate the law and avoid penalty fees saving the hospital money.  Also, they will only pay for the 0.3 release time for our Hospital Based Nurse Staffing Committee Chair for 2023 and 2024, but not 2025 when all the penalties will be kicking in from Oregon’s new staffing law.  This is highly problematic.

•  FTE/MRS: Our members are unwilling to change the current and previous practices that accruals count toward FTE and MRS. Suggesting otherwise would suggest that nurses would have to make up all hours while sick or on vacation.  Management seems to want to do this to deny CNI or other incentives to those who have been out or sick.

• International Agencies: They want to have the right to bring in huge groups of international travel agency nurses without bringing us a proposal in these negotiations regarding this, or being willing to reach a mutual agreement later on the terms and conditions.

• Contracting Out: Management wants the right to contract out our positions and our work without our agreement.

• Coverage for Lactation: Management refuses to guarantee break relief coverage for lactating employees who may need accommodations required under the law for longer breaks.  Leaving lactating nurse and their colleagues without proper support.

• CNI+ to replace MOV: Our MOV system is broken.  Management utilizes it like a type of CNI+ that kicks in when CNI isn’t enough.  We need them to use CNI+ which has clear and fair rules, and guarantee they will offer CNI+ before MOV which has no guardrails on how MOV can be used unfairly and improperly.  Management continues to insist on the right to give different increase rates to one cluster over another which divides and demoralizes our campus.

• Paying Hold Bank Hours: Management doesn’t want to pay out hold bank hours when a nurse leaves OHSU. That money was earned by our members and belongs to us.

• 3rd party insurance: Management is refusing a 3rd party health insurance option, and is oddly refusing to list our PPO plan as the default.

• Supporting Mental Health: Management refuses to pause disciplinary investigation meetings when a nurse is in a major mental health crisis so that the nurse has time to seek out details regarding their rights to take OFLMA/FMLA leave and get support.  This could even involve a nurse who needs inpatient mental health treatment.  

• Resuscitation Certifications: OHSU was found to be in violation of our contract regarding floating. A labor arbitrator ruled strongly against management that has set a clear precedent for the entire state of Oregon. However, management now refuses to pay for resuscitation certifications for nurses who are required to float to other units.  Such as NICU nurses floating to the PICU, etc.

• Home Infusion: We have not reached a fair agreement for Home Infusion Nurses

• Nurse Licensure: We have not reached a fair agreement on Multistate Nurse Licensure

Please know that we will always do what's best for our membership and the future of our union, and will stand strong on the top priorities.

Nearly all nurses have cast their strike votes. If you haven’t voted yet, you have until 2300 tonight (9/17) left to vote. The results will be announced tomorrow, Monday 9/18.  Those of you who have voted, we have heard you loud and clear. The support has been overwhelming, we so appreciate everyone who has been involved and engaged!

Stand tall, stand strong, stand together.

The AURN Bargaining Team

It was a long day down at ONA Headquarters. After reporting massive increases in revenue in the OHSU Board of Directors report, management only changed their financial offer by a measly 0.5%, equating to an additional investment of just $1 million.

Management’s Latest Offer: 1st year 15%, 2nd year 4.25%, 3rd year 4.25%, with absolutely no movement on differentials or certification pay. Finally, they considered a crisis differential for units that are in dire strain for staffing, but by taking the percentage of travelers up to 55%, there do not appear to be any units that would qualify for this crisis differential.
 
Management’s financial movement does not reflect the serious stance OHSU nurses are taking, and therefore, we did not make any movement on our priorities.
 
We made a little progress today on some of the articles that have been stuck, but management is being unreasonable about changing the language to give nurses rights to maintain their working conditions. We managed to reach one Tentative Agreement today on Article 27: Committees which has some very serious improvements to Justice, Equity, Inclusion and Diversity.
 
However, we remain far apart on some very serious components of our contract that if not resolved, could leave nurses exposed to changes to current working conditions, vulnerable to forced change of hours worked, and forced floating to new units/areas of the hospital.
 
Additionally, some departments are still being forced to take Mandatory Call as a way to cover baseline staffing, including pre-scheduled appointments in Home Infusion.
 
Management continues to assert that they should have the right to contract out the work of OHSU nurses, including not allowing a fair process to bargain over the Legacy merger. This is very concerning to us, as this will not provide protection for our work and positions.
 
This was just the first day in a week of mediation marathoning - please stay tuned for more updates!

A message from the AURN Bargaining Team:

 We implore you to talk to some nurses outside of your own department and cluster to better understand what your colleagues need in this contract to protect them. We stand with each of you and are dedicated to advocating for you and raising your priorities at the bargaining table. It is absolutely inspiring to see you all standing up for your colleagues and fighting the good fight to protect all OHSU nurses.

Over 120 nurses gathered to show their support for our first in-person Bargaining Kick-Off event Wednesday, Jan. 11. It was a sea of purple in the standing-room-only crowd that met with management at the table. Our new AURN shirts really stand out! Without a doubt, the large member turnout was responsible for the speechlessness of OHSU Management when we presented our bargaining platform based on the survey results. More nurses than ever completed the bargaining survey this year and your responses and support created this powerful session.

Our biggest win of the day was that management largely agreed to our enhanced CNI proposal, and after further discussion and counter-proposals, we reached an agreement! The expanded $46 CNI MOU will be extended until April 9 with clarifications made to the scheduling and curtailment process to increase fairness. Additionally, the current pediatric incentive to fill shifts during vacations is extended to the entire hospital. Read the full new MOU.

The working during vacation incentive, allows nurses to receive a bonus for picking up any shift during the week of vacation where accruals were also used to fill FTE. We also added two more Wellness Days for 2023. Those who haven’t been able to use their wellness days (from your current vacation/sick leave banks) would still be able to use them before April 9, 2023.

Having so many nurses show up to support us inspired our team! Management clearly treats us better when you are present. Due to this, we encourage you to observe a bargaining session! Our next in-person session at OHSU is on January 25. View our full schedule.

As Ryan McIntosh, RN from ED Observation stated:

“It’s harder for management to disrespect a room full of 100 people versus a group of 12, so please show up!”

These are our top priorities that we presented to management:

1. Staffing
2. Workplace Safety
3. Retention and Recruitment
4. Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
5. Moral Injury

Bargaining team members shared their stories and the experiences of their colleagues to impress upon OHSU Management that our members stand united in our bargaining priorities.

One of the most inspiring moments of the day, was when we presented a proposal with our Labor and Delivery nurses, stating that the mandatory call be changed to voluntary call and should not be used to support baseline staffing. A united group of L&D nurses shared their experiences to explain that mandatory call is not a solution, that no other hospitals in the region have mandatory call, and this requirement is preventing recruitment of experienced nurses. Guest speakers from L&D conveyed to management the dire situation they are in with mandatory call being used to fill baseline staffing in direct violation of our current agreement. When baseline staffing is not funded by the hospital administration, our nurses are left to care for the most acute laboring mothers and their babies in the state without safe levels of staffing.

In the late afternoon, management presented counterproposals on Article 2-Association Privileges and Limitations, Article 22-Grievances and Arbitration, Article 25-Transportation and Parking, and CNI Incentives.

Excerpts from our bargaining platform presentation:

Staffing

• The pandemic impacted nurses at OHSU with poor staffing and health-compromising situations.
• Meal and break requirements are not being followed despite clear contract language agreed to in the last bargaining round.
• Management is denying our staffing related grievances, forcing us to go to arbitration.
• There are many open positions. Some units are down by 60% on nights. We need to make OHSU desirable with compensation, safe staffing, and respect.
• Our patient population is becoming much more acute and intense. We need acuity and intensity to be recognized and to staff accordingly.
• Moral injury starts even before our shifts start. Co-workers frequently text us saying “please come help.”
• No beds or pillows for a 95-year-old patient who was stuck on a gurney for 48 hours.
• In the ED, we had three stymied patients waiting-very complex acuity.
• “I was forced to do a pelvic exam in an elevator, and we are amputating digits in hallways. The ED nurses did not sign up for this!”
• 12-24 hour wait times. Patients laying on the waiting room floor due to the wait and we are unsure if they are OK. The acuity is higher than ever in the waiting rooms.
• The ED cannot maintain a 3:1 ratio and the rest of the hospital is failing as well.
• The moral injury continues when we try to go to sleep. An ONA leader asks, “how many people have a hard time going to sleep?” Nearly every nurse in the packed room raises a hand.

  Workplace Safety
  

• Nurses are facing violence in the workplace without proper systems and support in place to keep them safe. In one incident, MDs walked by a nurse being attacked and DID NOT intervene. There was no time to even debrief. The charge nurse did not get notified that their nurse was assaulted until days later. This is a core indicator of how desensitized staff have become to a complete lack of safety.
• ED nurses have used their body many times to protect patients from other patients in the waiting room.
• Nurses submit 6-7 PSIs (Patient Safety Incident forms) per day and do not hear back on any of them. Too many band-aids being applied.
• There have been threats of gun violence in multiple departments, a recent arson event in the ED, and a car was almost driven into the ED. In these incidents the lack of a proper emergency response to keep staff safe was shocking.
• Safety for our nurses is safety for our patients, our community, for you (administration) and us. We had to prepare our families for the fact that we may lose our life due to caring for patients during the pandemic.
• We need a new contract. We want to stay.

  Retention and Recruitment

• OHSU has been offering MDs, NPs and PAs $500 for a 4-hour helping hands shift, which would have been better filled by ancillary staff or nurses, since we can do every aspect of the work. We complained and were told it would never happen again, yet it did again in December. Why wasn’t this offered to us?
• Travelers getting incentive shifts before us is unacceptable.
• We have bargained many side letters over COVID, but our asks for things that would truly retain nurses were refused by management. Nurses are leaving since they don’t feel supported or respected for their loyalty to OHSU.

  Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

• When sexual harassment cases went public, you (administration) spent 6 million dollars for a report that proved that all the cases were already reported to HR. You didn’t need to spend 6 million to demonstrate that, you needed to have listened to us to begin with.
• Racial epithets have been thrown at nurses by patients. There has been physical violence. At best those patients are banned for 30 days but they are still allowed to come back even though nurses repeatedly complained about the patients’ illegal behaviors.
• Violence starts with microaggressions. When we report them, we don’t get resolution. Signs are not enough.
• On Juneteenth we got 7.2 hours, yet many people of color still had to work 12 hours and the rest of us didn’t even get to take the 7.2 hours off due to short staffing.
• The accommodations requests for nurses with disabilities are backlogged by several months. This is a disservice to our members who are struggling in their current positions. 

Moral Injury

• Nurses are set up to fail before they even arrive for their shift; and they know this. Getting calls from their peers, who are desperate to have enough staff to safely care for patients impacts every nurse. It’s demoralizing knowing you either come in to be set up to fail or stay home leaving your peers to fail and patients in unsafe conditions.
• The lack of follow-through on reporting compounds the moral injury.
• When a nurse needs a meal or break to process all this, it doesn’t happen.
• Nearly every nurse raised their hand when asked “who in the room has had difficulty sleeping.”