Today was historic! Oregon's biggest nurse's strike is underway!

Providence Strike Day 1🌟Nurses across Oregon came out in full force for the first day of our six-unit strike! We kept the energy up and made it clear: we are here to show you what a fair contract means to us! #WeAreONA #RecruitRetainRespect #ProvStrike #SafeStaffingSavesLives

Text and photos/graphics above come from the Oregon Nurses Association. Today's Oregon Public Broadcasting story on the strike is here. 

This KGW clip has some good footage but comes across as supporting Providence:

STRIKE ALERT: The Largest Nurses Strike in Oregon History is Scheduled For Next Week!

From the Oregon AFL-CIO:

It is once again time for Oregon Labor to stand together in solidarity with striking workers. Last week, nurses represented by the Oregon Nurses Association at six different Providence Health Systems locations around the state gave notice that they would go on a three day strike from Tuesday, June 18 through Thursday, June 20.

Nurses are demanding Providence give them a fair contract that is in compliance with Oregon’s Safe Staffing law and prioritizes affordable, quality healthcare. Nurses are also demanding that Providence executives increase their focus on recruiting, retaining, and respecting frontline nurses. Despite four days of negotiations, an agreement was not reached.

An injury to one of us is an injury to all of us and it's critical that Oregon's workers and unions rally behind the striking ONA members until a fair contract is reached and ratified. When we join each other's fights, we have the strength in numbers to accomplish anything.

Here's how you can support the strike:

View the Strike Map here.

Sign up for a shift on the picket line.

Use ONA’s social media toolkit to help spread the word about the strike.

Sign the public petition to put pressure on Providence.

Donate to the strike fund to help support striking workers and help hold the line.

As we saw during the wave of strikes in the Pacific Northwest last year, our solidarity and our unwavering support of any striking worker will help to push management towards a fair settlement. Please stand together with ONA nurses at Providence in their fight to fix a broken health care system and to win the fair contract they deserve.

Please click here to see the latest news about this strike.

 

Providence has decided to end their participation in mediated bargaining: strike pending.

 

Photo from Timothy Welp/Oregon Nurses Association. This photo is from

the Friday, June 7th press conference when ONA nurses announced a 3 day ULP

strike at 6 hospitals statewide starting on June 18th at 6 am.

After more than 60 bargaining sessions across 6 bargaining units and 3 ½ days of mediation, Providence decided to officially end their participation in mediated bargaining at 12:54 p.m. on Friday after refusing to meet with the bargaining unit chairs to receive the union’s 10-day strike notice. This was greatly disappointing but not surprising as Providence has been unwilling to meaningfully talk about many of our top proposals since bargaining started. Broad areas where management has proposed huge take aways or failed to meaningfully engage: • Nurse Staffing article: management continues to make regressive proposals and tries to gut our current contract language around acuity and intensity. Prov is trying to strip down HB 2697. • Health Benefits: management refused to decrease deductibles or out of pocket costs, and increased the percentage that premiums can increase year to year. • NO discussion of Annual Leave increases. • Management did offer modest wage increases to base pay but failed to discuss most differentials. Management’s wage proposal still would leave us behind market standards. • Management agreed to a 3-year CBA but maintained the March 31, 2027 expiration date. Bottom line, after months of articulating our members top priorities, management has not engaged in any meaningful or productive way. Our leadership team decided to deliver the 10-day strike notice, again delivering the message that Providence needs to negotiate with Hood River nurses on safe staffing issues, affordable healthcare, competitive wages and differentials, and modest increases in annual leave. Timothy Welp (he, him) Labor Representative Oregon Nurses Association 18765 SW Boones Ferry Road, Suite. 200 Tualatin, OR 97062 Cell: 503-748-9768 www.oregonrn.org

Union Canvassing for Sarah Finger McDonald--Saturday, April 27 in Corvallis

 

Come join the Oregon Nurses Association and the American Federation of Teachers to canvass for Sarah Finger McDonald. See below for details.

Union Canvassing to help elect Sarah Finger McDonald

Saturday, April 27

Lilly City Park

Corvallis

A report from the front lines at Providence Hood River and at Providence hospitals across Oregon

On April 10th, the nurses who work at Providence Hood River Memorial Hospital met with their employer for their eighth bargaining session since negotiations began on Dec 18th, 2023. The result was the same consistent foot dragging from management as the previous 7 sessions. Providence has taken a very hard line by refusing to meaningful engage around the nurse’s top priorities: Safe Staffing language, affordable health insurance, market-based wages and differentials, and modest increases to the current sub-standard annual accruals.

After the full day bargaining session, a group of about 50 nurses and community members held a rally out front of Providence’s Hood River Hospital to let the community know that the nurses were going to keep standing together for safe staffing to protect patient care standards, and to hold the line for market-based wages and benefits. State Representative Travis Nelson, also a nurse, joined the rally along with Tammie Cline, ONA’s Statewide Presence. The rally was also attended by Teamster’s local 670 and Teamsters Local 223. Additional bargaining sessions are scheduled for April 29th, followed by two mediated sessions on May 6th and May 13th.

The Nurses are one of six bargaining units that are currently in negotiations with Providence. A total of over 3000 nurses at 6 different Hospitals are currently working to reach tentative agreements for new CBAs across the state.

In solidarity,

Timothy Welp (he, him)
Oregon Nurses Association Labor Representative

Solidarity needed now, a few learning opportunities, and some quick labor news

CWA President Claude Cummings Jr. delivered the keynote address

at the University of Michigan’s Black Men in Unions Conference.

Read about it here.

Teamsters Local 223 & Eugene/Springfield Solidarity Network

stands in solidarity with Oregon Nurses Association! Photo from Tizoc

Arenas.

From a press release signed by Johnny Earl, SEIU 503 Higher Ed Bargaining Team Chair and
Custodial Coordinator, University of Oregon:

Here are some more ways you can help:

1. Send an email to the University Presidents asking them to settle a fair contract with classified workers and to tell management’s bargaining team to stop their hardball tactics at the negotiating table. (Click here for a list of the president’s email addresses.) If you have questions, please ask Len Norwitz at norwitzL@seiu503.org.

2. Attend one of the action the list below next week. If you can attend any of these, we would love to have your support. Please wear purple if you can, but if you can’t we’d still love to see you there. To RSVP or to get more information, email Len Norwitz at norwitzl@seiu503.org.

Come to Western Oregon University (Monmouth) on Thursday, February 22nd, from 11 am to 1 pm to help distribute flyers and have conversations with the campus community and students. And participate as we deliver our support petitions. Get oriented/meet at the Werner University Center on North Monmouth Ave.

Come to Portland State University (Portland) Smith Memorial Student Union on Wednesday, February 21st, from 9:30 to 11:30 am for an open campus strategic planning session hosted by President Ann Cudd.

Come to Oregon State University (Corvallis) McNary Dining Center on Friday, February 23rd, from 11 to 11:30 am and be a part of our delegation – “OSU cannot ignore us!” - to the Annual UHDS Soup-Challenge event that is open to the community.

Come to the University of Oregon (Eugene) EU Ampitheatre on Monday, February 26th, from noon to 1 pm and be a part of the gathering and delegation to the President’s office - “We will not be ignored”.

Southern Oregon University (Ashland) - 2/26 – Event info TBD

Oregon Institute of Technology (Klamath Falls) - 2/26 – Event info TBD

Eastern Oregon University (La Grande) - 2/26 – Event info TBD

We appreciate your continued support for our Higher Ed members and thank you in advance for seeing this through to a fair contract.

From Portland Jobs with Justice:

On Monday, the editorial staff of the Portland Mercury, The Stranger, EverOut Portland, Bold Type Tickets and across Index Media have announced they have joined together to form the Index Media Union, as members of the Pacific NW Newspaper Guild! JWJ was thrilled to hear about this new union at our most recent Steering Committee meeting, as all workers deserve a union! We strongly urge management at Index Media to voluntarily recognize the union in order to proceed swiftly to negotiating a fair first contract! You can find JWJ's letter of support, here!

Share their announcements over Instagram and Twitter, and give them a follow, too!

Please join the Oregon Coalition of Black Trade Unionists, JWJ's Portland Rising, and the SEIU-AFRAM Caucus for a special Black History Month Movie night! It will feature two short films and a special presentation moderated by Vinnie Blanco Jr.:

Travis Nelson, Representative, House District 44 will talk on health care inequities and efforts to create a new health care system, and

Sarina Roher, Secretary-Treasurer, Oregon AFL-CIO will talk on bargaining challenges for health care unions and the challenges of being a health care worker.

Thursday, February 29 from 7 - 9pm
SEIU Local 503 (525 NE Oregon St Portland OR 97232)
Masks encouraged!Join Coalition of Black Trade Unionists for great Black History Month programming all month, including the 2/15 Health Forum (on Zoom.) Find more at this link!

 

Get the truth and gain an understanding on AP African American studies here.

All of the members of the Georgia State Senate Democratic Caucus wore red bandanas last week in solidarity with CWA members who are leading the fight against an anti-union bill. The bill would make companies that respect their workers’ right to form unions through voluntary recognition ineligible for state economic incentives. (Photo and text from CWA)

My heart was troubled to learn this morning that Remington Arms is moving from New York to Georgia and that our United Mine Workers of America will be losing about 300 members as this move takes place. Perhaps Remington workers will go union in Georgia. 

Catch up with some labor news

Portland Democratic Socialists of America has the following labor solidarity items posted:

Dealing with Difficult Supervisors - A Steward's Workshop
Wed. Feb. 21, 4-5:30pm (zoom)
This workshop has limited capacity and is for stewards and elected officers who work with stewards - not staff. Please register only if this applies to you.
REGISTER: https://labornotes.org/events/2024/stewards-workshop-dealing-difficult-supervisors-february-2024

Healthcare Workers for Ceasefire
Rally & Deliver Demand to Sen. Wyden & Rep. Blumenauer
Fri. Feb. 23, 4pm
911 NE 11th Ave.

Several labor organizations are promoting these important upcoming Black History Month events:

Coalition of Black Trade Unionists: Black History Month Events
Ongoing throughout February both on Zoom and in person in Portland
The Oregon Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (CBTU) cordially invites you to join us for a month-long recognition of Black excellence in conjunction with the Pacific Northwest Labor History Association, Portland Rising, Oregon AFSCME, and AFRAM/SEIU Local 503. 

February 22, 2024 at 6:30pm: Labor History Workshop (In Person at Oregon AFL-CIO)
February 29, 2024 at 7:00pm: Movie Night (In Person at SEIU Local 503)

Click here to learn more about these exciting events!

There is this:

The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) just picked up some bragging rights:

Approximately 34 in-house audio and video workers at Allianz Field, the home

stadium for Major League Soccer’s Minnesota United FC (MNUFC) ratified their

first contract Tuesday — bringing an end to eight months of contentious negotiations

 for the newly unionized crew.

Ford workers got this fixed:

We have this good news:

This is historic:

The staff of FRESHFARM farmers markets voted in favor of ratifying their

 first union contract, making them the first farmers market workers in the country to 

secure a collective bargaining agreement.

The American Federation of Government Employees says:

During a week of spectacular protest actions the following came from the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA:

Alaska Airlines Flight Attendants Authorize Strike, Raising Stakes in

 Contract Talks

Senator Jeff Merkley @SenJeffMerkley 18h Solidarity with the @afa_cwa, @APFAunity, and
@transportworker workers walking out of major airports across the country this week. Flight
attendants are essential workers who support billions in profits for the airline industry. They
must be paid well with a strong #ContractNow!

A cautionary note:

An apology: I am unable to accurately credit most of the sources for the items given above  because of problems with my filing. Most likely came from the AFL-CIO or the unions listed.   

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. 

Four Important Labor Solidarity & Action Requests

It’s time to take action on behalf of union Flight Attendants who are represented by AFA-CWA.

It’s time to take action on behalf of union Flight Attendants who are represented by AFA-CWA. This coming Tuesday, February 13, Flight Attendants from around the world are coming together to bring their collective struggle to the public eye.

Together, Flight Attendants are taking a stand against corporate greed and fighting for the contracts they’ve rightfully earned. It’s time to send a message to management: Flight Attendants won’t tolerate stall tactics and disrespect any longer.

Join AFA-CWA in solidarity as Flight Attendants picket at over 30 airports worldwide. Help send a message to management that more than 100,000 Flight Attendants are ready to push our careers forward. Don’t miss out on this historic moment. Click here to RSVP for February 13 at the airport closest to you. In Oregon, that will be at the Portland International Airport from 11:00am - 1:00pm at the upper level of the outer roadway of the terminal.

PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Home Care Services Strike Kickoff Rally

Saturday, February 10, 2024 at 10:00am at Sacred Heart Home Care Services, 123 International Way in Springfield

Oregon Nurses Association members at PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Home Care services will begin their strike on February 10 and will hold picket lines Monday - Friday from 7:00am - 7:00pm. Come join ONA and the Lane County labor community to make sure the strike begins with a strong start! Click here for RSVP.

Providence Candlelight Vigil Tuesday, February 13, 2024 at 6:00pm at Providence Milwaukie, 10150 SE 32nd Ave in Milwaukie It’s time to call Providence out on their failures. ONA nurses, health professionals, physicians, and their community and labor allies are holding a candlelight vigil to highlight the ongoing patient care crisis at Providence facilities. Join us to say ‘No More’ to unsafe workloads and added job requirements, chronic staffing shortages, and massive attrition caused by gross inequities in working conditions. We will gather outside Providence Milwaukie Hospital. Everyone is welcome to attend. Click here to RSVP. Support Portland Community College Federation of Classified Employees The PCCFCE has been bargaining for a year and their contract expired in July of 2023. Urgent issues for classified staff are short staffing, wages that haven’t kept pace with inflation, and healthcare affordability. Please join PCCFCE members at a series of escalating actions on PCC campuses this month and keep up the pressure until a fair contract is reached! PCC ROCK CREEK CAMPUS: Tuesday, February 13: 12:30-1:30pm 17705 NW Springville Rd, Portland, OR 97229 Meeting Location: Bus loop in front of building 5 PCC CASCADE CAMPUS: Wednesday, February 14: 12:30-1:30pm 705 N Killingsworth St, Portland, OR 97217 Meeting Location: Between Library and Arts Buildings PCC SYLVANIA CAMPUS: Tuesday, February 20: 12:30-1:30pm 12000 SW 49th Ave, Portland, OR 97219 Meeting Location: Plaza in front of PAC Center PCC SOUTHEAST CAMPUS: Wednesday, February 21: 12:30-1:30pm 2305 SE 82nd Ave, Portland, OR 97216 Meeting Location: Front of Library (on Division St side) This post has been taken from the Oregon AFL-CIO.

Oregon Nurses Association candlelight vigil on February 13---Please come!

 

Support the Peacehealth Sacred Heart Home Health Strike February 10-23

 

Support the Sacred Heart Home Care Services strike starting on Saturday!

 

Sacred Heart Home Care Services Strike Set For February 10-24.

 Please click on the flier if you can read the text.

Solidarity needed in Eugene! Home health and hospice nurses at PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Home Care Services in Lane County have issued a strike notice.

 

After a year of negotiations, forty bargaining sessions and countless hours of effort, home health and hospice nurses at PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Home Care Services in Lane County have made the difficult decision to issue a strike notice to PeaceHealth’s corporate executives.

From Feb. 1 – Feb. 14, nurses and allies will be on the picket line pushing back against PeaceHealth’s inadequate bargaining proposals which have led to record turnover and job vacancies, care delays and pay inequities.

Donate to the strike relief fund here: https://ow.ly/neE050QsKCV
Support SHHCS Nurses here: https://ow.ly/zHIe50QsKCU
Learn more about the strike and their situation here: https://ow.ly/7QTo50QsKCW

PeaceHealth executives in Washington are abandoning local patients and putting their own profits ahead of patients’ needs … AGAIN. From heartlessly closing University District–leaving Eugene without a hospital–to handing corporate executives multimillion dollar raises during the pandemic, PeaceHealth’s corporate executives are cutting your health care again so they can cash in.

Thankfully, your local ONA nurses at PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Home Care Services are standing up to fight back!

Congratulations to Wells-Fargo workers in Daytona Beach who just went union! What about Salem-Keizer?

REI workers are organizing for union representation nationally. We have REI.

Starbucks workers are organizing nationally. We have lots of Starbucks stores.

Healthcare professionals are organizing across Oregon. Salem Hospital is non-union.

Wells Fargo workers are organizing around the United States. We have Wels Fargo banks and a large Wells Fargo center.

Amazon workers are organizing nationally. We have an Amazon facility.

There are plenty of union organizing opportunities in Marion, Polk and Yamhill counties. If you are interested in forming a union, contact the Oregon AFL-CIO. If you work for one of the employers mentioned above, hit the link to connect with the union that is active in your sector. 

Top Cut:
Bankers and tellers at a Wells Fargo branch in Daytona Beach, Florida, voted last week to join the Communications Workers of America’s (CWA’s) Wells Fargo Workers United. This is the second-ever successful election at the megabank.

Why It Matters:
Momentum around organizing Wells Fargo branches is building quickly across the country. Just weeks ago staff at a branch in Albuquerque, New Mexico, became the first to win a union election, and workers in Wilmington, Delaware, filed for a union election soon after. Despite Wells Fargo’s anti-union attacks, these workers are fighting to secure a meaningful voice on the job to improve conditions for themselves and their customers.

Note: the reference to The Onion in the graphic above refers to on-going union activism at The Onion, a satirical and often hilarious on-line publication. This is almost new territory for union organizing. And despite what looks like glum numbers above, note that worker activism at Wells Fargo has won over $205 million for workers in just a short period. If you set out to organize a union in Marion, Polk or Yamhill counties you will have support.

The graphic, photo and news story come from the AFL-CIO Daily Brief.

The Oregon Nurses Association continuers to move forward!

Oregon Nurses Association

https://www.oregonrn.org/