Jan. 13, 2025 (Oregon) - Providence’s recent statements about coming back to the table are, frankly, baffling.  

Despite repeated claims over the past 24 hours about “being ready to negotiate” with our members at Providence Medford Medical Center and Providence Newberg Medical Center, ONA has received no communication from either Providence or the mediators with an invitation to bargain, no information on any new proposals, and no meaningful steps to resolve this strike.  

If Providence truly wants to make progress, they need to stop posturing and start engaging in good faith.  

They could start by picking up a phone.  

It is crucial for Oregonians to understand that the issues driving this strike are not isolated to any one hospital, nor are they unit-specific—they are systemic. Unsafe staffing is a problem everywhere. Non-competitive wages and poor health insurance benefits are a problem everywhere. Caregivers spending less time with patients, and being asked to do more with less, is a problem everywhere. 

Providence’s calculated strategy to cherry-pick which bargaining units they will engage with is not only counterproductive but is also a cynical attempt to pit one hospital against another. This approach ignores the reality that the challenges our members face exist at all Providence facilities and, most importantly, impact all of the patients we care for. 

Our bargaining teams are finalizing proposals that address these systemic issues - across all units and all facilities. Our focus is on resolving the strike and that means securing real improvements across the entire system – not just the hospitals that Providence wants to discuss, but all our units.  

It’s time for Providence to stop with the delay tactics, stop trying to divide healthcare workers, and start addressing the root causes of the crisis they created.