PORTLAND, Ore. — Roughly 1,800 nurses at Providence Portland Medical Center and two other Providence facilities will stage a five-day strike starting June 19 unless progress is made in contract bargaining, the Oregon Nurses Association announced Friday.
Providence told KGW on Friday that it will not bargain with the union while the strike is pending or in progress, but will resume bargaining after the strike ends.
The official warning comes just a few days after the nurses at Providence Portland, Providence Seaside and Providence Home Health and Hospice collectively voted to authorize a strike. The union is required to give advance notice so that the health system can prepare for the strike.
ONA said earlier this week that the strike authorization was in response to unfair labor practices and falling standards at Providence facilities, including overuse of temporary nurses, unsafe nurse-to-patient ratios and failure to retain existing staff.