Bonamici, Wyden, Merkley, Salinas, Hoyle, Dexter, Bynum Call for Providence, Oregon Nurses Association to Reach Agreement

WASHINGTON DC [1/24/25] - Today Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Val Hoyle (OR-04), Andrea Salinas (OR-06), Maxine Dexter (OR-03), Janelle Bynum (OR-05), and Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley sent a letter urging Providence and the Oregon Nurses Association to reach agreement on new employment contracts for doctors, certified nurse midwives, nurse practitioners, registered nurses, and clinical staff. The health care workers have been on strike since January 10^th.

The full text of the letter can be found here and below.

Dear Mr. Wexler and Ms. Tan Piazza,

We write today to express our firm expectation that Providence will engage in good faith bargaining as it seeks to settle contracts with nearly 5,000 doctors, certified nurse midwives, nurse practitioners, registered nurses, and clinical staff in the Providence system across the state of Oregon.

These dedicated doctors, nurses, and clinical staff have been on strike since January 10^th.

We have spoken directly with these caregivers and with Providence leadership. Our conversations underscored the urgency of this situation and have led us to continue to call on you to act with haste to come to an agreement that values the health care providers who care for patients in the Providence system.

Nurses, doctors, and other Oregonians on the strike lines told us they are striking because they don't have the resources to provide the quality of care that Oregonians deserve and expect. They've told us that the strike is not only for competitive wages and benefits, but also for safer staffing levels.

We know that the costs of this strike are significant. Providers are going without pay because they understand that working conditions need to change. Providence is paying significant amounts of money to hire and train replacement staff while the strike continues. The last few years have not been easy for anyone in health care, and the health care system continues to face a variety of challenges.

The Providence system is a critical part of Oregon's health care infrastructure. It's past time to agree on a fair contract-for the nurses, doctors, and other staff who care for Oregonians, and for all of those who receive care at Providence.

Providence and ONA both share the goal of providing excellent patient care and experiences. We appreciate that justice is among Providence's core values and that Providence strives to "foster a culture that promotes unity and reconciliation," "care wisely for our people, our resources and our earth," and "stand in solidarity with the most vulnerable, working to remove the causes of oppression and promoting justice for all."

We call on both parties to bring this commitment to justice to the bargaining table, to actively engage in bargaining all contracts, and to offer and negotiate proposals that meaningfully address caregiver concerns about wages, working conditions, and staffing.

On behalf of the millions of Oregonians we represent, it is our sincere hope that ONA and Providence negotiate contracts in good faith as swiftly as possible. Thank you for your attention to this important matter and for your consideration of our request.

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