Support the striking PeaceHealth home health and hospice nurses!

Photo from Timothy Welp

I participated in the rally and strike picketline held by the Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) last Saturday at PeaceHealth in Eugene. It was a great opening event for the strike. The home health and hospice nurses at PeaceHealth came to the action with strong public and political support that was evident during the rally. A February 8 program that ran on Oregon Public Broadcasting helped give the workers credibility and boost support for them. 

It was quite helpful and inspiring to hear State Representative Travis Nelson, State Senator (and candidate for Secretary of State) James Manning, local political and community leaders, a representative from Senator Merkley's office, and  Congresswoman Val Hoyle speak in support of the strike and the union. State Representative Nelson has a particular understanding of the issues involved given that he once worked for the company and is a nurse as well as a valued political leader. State Senator Manning is a hometown hero and leader for good reason and never fails to be on the picketlines and at the rallies when asked to be there. Congresswoman Hoyle held a sign proclaiming "People Over Profits" while she spoke, and by holding that sign she demonstrated the relative strength of a coalition that I hope can win this strike and others and help carry us through to a victory at the polls in November.

There were nurses from other ONA-represented units, Teamsters, AFSCME members, members of other unions, and socialists present with the ONA strikers on Saturday. I attended as an active member of the National Writers Union, an associate member of the United Mine Workers, and as an active participant in the Marion-Polk-Yamhill Central Labor Chapter. The local political and communitity leaders who spoke testified to the progressive and forward-looking nature of that forward-looking coalition that we are all a part of.

All of that said, it was the nurses and their ability to lead on the picketline that kept things together and moving forward on Saturday. They spoke with urgency and soul. Please go to the Oregon Nurses Association Facebook page and see the video posted on February 10 to hear the speeches and see the ONA members in action.

I understand that strikes and rallies are abstract to people until they show up and participate in them, and for that reason we need union members to lead and be disciplined and carry a message that speaks directly to people who have not been previously engaged. This is how we begin to make positive change and good trouble. I believe that active ONA members will gree with me here. The union certainly embodies that spirit, and that was made clear to all last Saturday and on the February 8 radio program.  

The national AFL-CIO has spotlighted the strike in a helpful Daily Brief post today. That post gives a very helpful summary of the ssues that led to the strike and says the following:

The 14-day strike began Saturday and comes after months of negotiations following the expiration of the nurses’ previous contract in April 2023. Historically, these nurses have received equal pay compared to their counterparts at PeaceHealth hospital, but management’s latest proposal offers a lower compensation to home care and hospice nurses than those working in the hospital.

While PeaceHealth's corporate executives received multimillion-dollar wage increases during the pandemic, they continue to refuse to offer home care nurses fair wages and a contract that addresses record turnover and job vacancies.

“We are not asking for more, we are not asking for special treatment, we just want equality. The way it has always been,” said ONA member and hospice nurse Heather Herbert.

Photo from the AFL-CIO Daily Brief.

  

The AFL-CIO post also has a link to a petition for union and strike supporters. A version of that petition is here. Please sign! ONA is doing a great job on the picketlines and the workers will welcome your active suppoprt.