The Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) issued the following statement upon the announcement from Oregon Health and Science University that it will be acquiring Legacy Health System. 

It is important for Oregonians to keep in mind that yesterday’s announcement of a $1 billion commitment from Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) to fund a merger with Legacy Health (the two largest health systems in the Portland region) comes exactly one week after nurses declared an impasse in their ongoing contract negotiations with OHSU.

While nurses at OHSU have been at the bargaining table looking for management to step up and do what is right for their nurses and their patients, OHSU’s management have been short-changing the nurses in their contract offers while also pledging more than $1 billion over ten years to an acquisition.

OHSU management should step up with a fair contract for the more than 3,000 nurses at OHSU before undertaking one of the largest health care mergers in Oregon’s history.  

Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) has a long history of advancing the health of patients, and improving the working conditions of nurses, at OHSU via collective bargaining. In fact, we know that patients are healthier, and staff have safer working conditions and higher job satisfaction, when health care workers are unionized, no matter which hospital or clinic is in question.  

Over the past few years, we have seen significant failures on the part of the Legacy Health System, including, most recently, the attempted closure of the Family Birth Center at Legacy Mt. Hood, and horrific acts of violence in the workplace at Legacy Good Samaritan. ONA does not have any faith in Legacy’s management, so a merger with a public institution like OHSU – which will come with more requirements related to transparency and accountability – is likely to be in the best interests of Legacy’s patients and their 13,000 staff members.

This merger brings up more questions than answers, and ONA is committed to being a thoughtful partner with nurses and health care workers across OHSU and Legacy while the details of this agreement are hammered out.  
Having a union in a health care setting means better working conditions for staff and better outcomes for patients. ONA-represented nurses at OHSU have a strong connection to their colleagues at Legacy facilities and are eager to work together in the future for the benefit of patients.

Today, ONA is looking forward to getting a fair contract with OHSU and then working with the newly merged health care system to ensure their staff have access to the collective power of ONA.

The Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) is the state’s largest and most influential nursing organization. We are a professional association and labor union which represents more than 16,000 nurses and allied health workers throughout the state. ONA’s mission is to advocate for nursing, quality health care and healthy communities. For more information visit: www.OregonRN.org.

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