Oregon healthcare workers issue strike notice to Providence

NBC5 News at 6 starts now. More than 350 nurses at Providence may soon walk off the job. Good evening and thank you for choosing NBC5 News at 6. I'm Andrea Boyd. The Oregon Nurses Association and Providence have yet to reach an agreement after nearly a whole year of negotiations. Now members of the state's largest nursing union have authorized a strike beginning January 10th. NBC5's Michael Gonzalez has the latest. The Oregon Nurses Association gave Providence a 10-day notice for their upcoming strike to begin January 10th. It's their second in roughly six months. But this time, the ONA says 380 registered nurses will be striking here at Providence Medford Medical Center. The open-ended strike beginning in January has no end date, meaning nearly 5,000 healthcare workers across several Providence facilities across the state can be on strike for days, weeks, maybe even months. The proposals that we received from Providence were nearly identical every single pass. The only way that this strike will end is if Providence comes back to the table and bargains in good faith to negotiate a fair contract with its nearly 5,000 caregivers. Eight hospitals and six clinics would go on strike this time around, including roughly 2,000 more caregivers than the June strike. And this time, nurses might not be the only ones partaking in the strike. Physicians and physician assistants could also strike in the Portland area, marking the first doctor strike in Oregon history. It's really unfortunate that Providence has decided to not come back to the table and bargain to avoid this kind of stress on the communities. And also, with physicians being out, that will impact admits at those receptive facilities. According to a statement from Providence Medford released Monday, their offer includes double-digit pay increases and other incentives. They say the ONA isn't working to find a middle ground and is sending conflicting signals. The statement goes on to say that Providence has secured replacement workers and identified other strategies to keep healthcare services stable. Nonetheless, Evan says the priority of healthcare workers remains the same, but it must be done under the right conditions, benefiting both parties. Taking care of our patients and doing so, though, in safe circumstances where we are staffed appropriately and can best take care of our communities. In Medford, Michael Gonzalez, NBC5 News. To see the full statements from the union in Providence Medford, visit our website, KOBI5.com.