Physical therapists, social workers, doctors and nurse practitioners are among those voting for union representation 

(Tualatin, Ore.) – The Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) is excited to announce that it will work with three new bargaining units and add a new category of health care workers to a current unit, all within Providence Oregon’s Health System. The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) was responsible for overseeing all three elections last month, which added 215 union-represented workers.

On April 14, approximately 80% of the clinicians working for Providence Home Health and Hospice voted to form a union and be represented by ONA. The group consists of physical therapists (PTs), occupational therapists (OTs), speech language pathologists (SLPs), social workers (MSWs), and counselors (LPCs). These clinicians are now part of the existing ONA nurse bargaining unit at Home Health and Hospice. Nurses in this unit have been at the bargaining table since the fall of 2022 and have been working under an expired contract since Dec. 31, 2022.

There are six Providence Women’s Clinic locations in the Portland metro area. They are well-known for providing outstanding personalized health care to thousands of women and families during all of life’s stages. The group is split into two units, one representing physicians, nurse practitioners and certified nurse midwives while the other represents RNs. Both units overwhelmingly voted in favor of unionizing with representation by ONA on April 18.

In Southern Oregon, emergency department physicians, physician assistants and nurse practitioners who work for Providence Medford voted in favor of unionizing on April 25. The healthcare providers, now known as the Southern Oregon Providers Association (SOPA), will be part of the Pacific Northwest Hospital Medicine Association (PNWHMA), an existing hospitalists union represented by the American Federation of Teachers (Local 6552) and serviced by ONA.

“This is an exciting and invigorating time for unions. Healthcare workers in Oregon are tired of not being respected or listened to by Providence management,” said Tamie Cline, RN, president of ONA. “We welcome these new groups into ONA and know that, by joining forces, we can do a better job of caring for patients and our healthcare colleagues.”

These groups of health care professionals are part of a wave of health care workers unionizing across the country and throughout Oregon. In early April more than 300 nurses with Legacy Mount Hood Medical Center in Gresham voted in favor of ONA union representation and, in mid-April, technologists with Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center in Medford declared their intent to unionize and join ONA.

Providence is one of the largest health systems in the US and enjoys tens of billions in annual revenue. It is Oregon’s largest health care provider and one of Oregon’s largest companies. Despite its national reach, Providence regularly collects more than half of its health care profits from Oregonians. 

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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