The group is the latest in a wave of union organizing at Oregon’s second-largest health system

(PORTLAND, Ore.) – On Dec. 26, physicians at Legacy’s women’s health clinics announced their intent to unionize with the Pacific Northwest Hospital Medicine Association (PNWHMA). The 17 doctors are unionizing to improve recruitment, retention and respect of staff; ensure patient safety and caregiver well-being through safe staffing; and to have a voice at the table as OHSU and Legacy become one health system. The group submitted union authorization cards to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) Dec. 27. The NLRB is expected to hold a hearing and set an election date in the coming weeks.  

“Legacy’s decision to close the Family Birth Center at Mt. Hood Medical Center this spring was clear evidence of their prioritization of profit over patient care,” said Dr. Britta Ameel, Legacy Medical Group-Mount Hood Women’s Health. “My patients come from historically underserved neighborhoods with some of the highest concentrations of poverty in the state. They don’t have the time or money to drive into Portland, especially in an emergency. We are forming a union to put protections in place to ensure that high-quality, community-focused care remains the standard for birthing families and patients with gynecologic needs in East Multnomah County and across the Legacy Health system.”

Unionizing providers work at the following Legacy facilities: 
Portland
Legacy Medical Group–Maternal-Fetal Medicine at Emanuel
Legacy Medical Group–Portland Obstetrics and Gynecology at Good Samaritan
Gresham
Legacy Medical Group–Maternal-Fetal Medicine at Mount Hood
Legacy Medical Group–Mount Hood Women's Health
Silverton
Legacy Medical Group–Maternal-Fetal Medicine at Silverton
Legacy Medical Group–Women's Health at Silverton
Keizer
Legacy Medical Group–Women's Health in Keizer
Vancouver, WA
Legacy Medical Group–Maternal-Fetal Medicine at Salmon Creek

“There is trepidation surrounding the proposed OHSU-Legacy merger,” said Dr. Scott Hoffmann, Legacy Medical Group-Portland Obstetrics and Gynecology. “Large hospital mergers can increase patient cost and decrease quality. By organizing now, we’ll have a stronger voice to ensure our patients’ health and safety stay front and center during administrative changes.”

The PNWHMA is a physician and advanced practice provider union represented by the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and staffed by the Oregon Nurses Association (ONA). If the physicians vote in favor of representation, they will join the nearly 200 hospitalists at six Legacy hospitals who overwhelmingly voted to unionize with PNWHMA last month. 

Although nurses have been advocating for better patient care and working conditions in Oregon for nearly 120 years, new groups of Oregon healthcare workers are now joining or forming their own unions in large numbers. Twenty years ago, few US physicians were part of a union, but as healthcare systems have become larger and more corporate, doctors see collective bargaining as the best way to ensure their voices are heard in decisions that affect their patients and their profession. 

Legacy Health is a private nonprofit health system that operates eight hospitals and more than 70 clinics in Oregon and Washington. The health system spent many weeks in the 2023 news cycle after illegally attempting to close the Family Birth Center at Legacy Mt. Hood, the horrific acts of violence in the workplace at Legacy Good Samaritan, and its announcement to combine with Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU).

The Pacific Northwest Hospital Medicine Association (PNWHMA) was created in 2015 as the first hospitalist-specific labor union in the United States. It has since expanded to represent more doctors and advanced practice providers. PNWHMA is affiliated with AFT Healthcare—the fastest-growing healthcare union in the country. AFT Healthcare represents more than 200,000 members in 100 locals in 18 states and territories. 

The Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) is the state’s largest and most influential nursing organization. We are a professional association and labor union representing more than 17,000 nurses and health care professionals throughout the state. ONA’s mission is to advocate for nursing, quality health care and healthy communities. For more information visit: www.OregonRN.org.