Safe Staffing Comes at a Cost—43 Days on the Picket Line

[Erin Lee, BSN, RN]

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We are nurses, doctors, physician associates, nurse practitioners, and certified nurse midwives from Providence facilities across Oregon. Some of us have been bargaining with Providence for more than a year and are working without a contract. Providence has rejected our common-sense proposals to improve patient care and safety by not committing to safe staffing and other critical patient safety issues in our contracts. That's why we're going on strike starting January 10. When healthcare workers are asked to do more with less, patient lives are at stake. Providence has pushed nurses, doctors and other healthcare professionals to work under unsafe staffing conditions.  

- Oregon Nurses Association (ONA)

43 days on the picket line. That's what Providence nurses just endured—the longest healthcare strike in Oregon's history. Over 5,000 nurses and doctors at eight hospitals and six women's health clinics stood their ground, sacrificing pay and stability to fight for safe staffing, fair wages, and real protections.

After weeks without a paycheck and constant uncertainty, they finally reached a tentative agreement that included wage increases and automatic penalty pay for missed breaks and lunches. The vote starts Thursday, and if it passes, they'll return to work.

Strikes come at a huge personal cost, but these nurses showed what real solidarity looks like.

Would you make the same sacrifice to put patients over profits?