After 46 days of picketing, approximately 5,000 nurses represented by the Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) returned to work at eight Providence hospitals across Oregon following the ratification of new contracts on February 26.
The nurses secured key improvements in staffing requirements, wage increases, and compensation for missed meals and breaks during shifts. The strike, which began on January 10, also included doctors, nurse practitioners, and other medical staff at Providence St. Vincent's and Providence Women's Clinics.
"We're pretty ecstatic that we're going back to work," said Vicki Knudsen, a nurse at Providence Medford. "We have a very feisty group down here. I think we became really unified."
The new agreements include varied staffing language across facilities to address different patient populations. At Providence Medford, nurses won the right to approve staffing plans through majority vote before submission to the hospital committee. The contracts also acknowledge the importance of patient acuity - the severity of illness - in determining appropriate staffing levels.
Six of the eight bargaining units will receive bonus payments to compensate for missed raises during the period their previous contracts had expired. While nurses did not achieve all their objectives, including maintaining their previous health insurance coverage, they demonstrated remarkable solidarity throughout the strike.
During the strike period, ONA successfully organized three additional Oregon hospitals, bringing 2,300 more nurses into the union. "We're paying it forward to the unions coming after us," said Richard Botterill, an emergency room nurse at Providence Portland.
The prolonged strike highlighted the growing strength of nursing unions in Oregon. "Providence said they don't have money, but they spent an irrational amount of money to extend the strike," noted nurse Kim Martin from Providence Portland. "They thought nurses were going to come rolling back over the line and they did not. We held strong for a long time."
The resolution marks a new chapter in labor relations between Providence and its nursing staff, with improved unity across bargaining units and stronger workplace protections for healthcare workers.