Local 328 Stands Strong with Strike-Ready ONA Nurses

Over the past several months, our fellow OHSU healthcare workers with the Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) have been diligently bargaining for a fair contract. After trading many proposals with OHSU, ONA has declared an impasse. 

As we know from our recent bargaining, an impasse means that a strike is now possible if a tentative agreement cannot be reached soon. ONA has declared this impasse for good reason: OHSU has thus far failed to acknowledge the value these nurses bring to this institution, refusing to offer them the compensation they deserve and even denying them their legal right to guaranteed breaks. 

This is unacceptable coming from an organization that recently promised $1,500,000,000 (that’s 1.5 BILLION dollars) to acquire Legacy Health. AFSCME Local 328 stands in solidarity with ONA nurses in urging OHSU to prioritize the stability and wellbeing of its existing workforce before making massive investments into further expansion.

As ONA continues to negotiate before the end of the “cooling off” period, be sure to tell your fellow workers at ONA that 328 has their back, the same way they had ours during our negotiations!

Read ONA’s bargaining update below to learn more about their fight for a fair contract:

AURN Mediation Update

In bold move, management fails to reach fair agreement with nurses but commits $1,500,000,000 to buy Legacy Health System

After declaring impasse and completing the 7-day costing window, on Wednesday, Aug. 15, all final offers and associated costs were submitted by our bargaining team and management to the Employment Relations Board. That same evening The Oregonian broke the news, about the acquisition of Legacy Health System. We believe OHSU had planned to release this news the day after our final offers were due. OHSU is purchasing the entire health system including seven hospitals, other facilities, clinics, and subsidiaries with over 13,000 employees. OHSU executives plan to spend $1,500,000,000 on this. Our final offer will cost management 5% of their $4,000,000,000 operation.

With this enormous news about our employer, OHSU nurses need assurances from management regarding how this will affect our work. The best way for management to do this is by coming to a fair agreement that respects, retains, and recruits nurses. They made one attempt on Wednesday night before news broke of the merger. Their final offer increased $0.50 on base wages in the first year, and the bonus to agree not to strike was increased $1500 for nurses over 0.5 FTE. They also increased their offer for year 2 and 3 by half a percent each year. See our updated side-by-side comparison of all remaining items up for negotiation. 

In April, we asked OHSU CFO Lawrence Furnstahl, at the bargaining table if they were "aware of any major acquisitions that could impact OHSU's finances or negotiations with ONA." We asked because they were not transparent on their financial investments. Furnstahl was quick to share the details of partnering with Columbia Memorial Hospital, attempting to acquire Salem Health, and successfully purchasing Adventist, and OHSU Hillsboro. “I don’t want to say no,” Furnstahl said, “we have a history of partnering.” When asked again for a simple yes or no answer, Furnstahl replied with a definitive “no”.

Management has not yet demonstrated they have all our priorities in mind at the bargaining table, even with their "final offer". We ask that they adjust their priorities toward what frontline workers deal with every day, especially considering this huge change. If they intend to be the employer of over 13,000 more people, they need to start by being a good employer to our nurses that keep OHSU functioning every day.

It is critical that nurses have a voice in the priorities of OHSU. OHSU cannot be OHSU without its nurses.

We are calling on all AURN folks to attend a strike school ASAP. They are in-person and we now have virtual strike school options! (Zoom link will be sent next week) We ask that every nurse take the time to have a one-on-one conversation with someone you respect to discuss the very real possibility of going on strike to make real change happen at OHSU. This is a very serious decision that requires thought and collective action. We must have each other’s backs now more than ever as we become a part of a 10-hospital system. Once you’ve had a chance to review the items below, and feel ready to do so, please complete our Strike Survey at one of the AURN Strike Schools or complete it with a CAT member from your unit. If you don’t know who your CAT members are, email aurnlaborreps@oregonrn.org. Be sure to read the following:
•    Strike School Presentation (which includes some strike FAQs, some Side by side proposals, but also executive compensation, market comparisons, and general economics!)
•    Strike FAQ to answer all legal questions regarding your rights and protections to strike
•    Side by Side Summary & Comparison of Proposals  
•    Optional: read through the full proposed changes to the individual articles in our collective bargaining agreement on our website, just scroll down to the bargaining documents

In a YouTube video posted to OHSU’s channel, OHSU President Danny Jacobs said that “we are committed to creating an inclusive, empowering, and welcoming environment that attracts, educates and retains world-class healthcare education and science professionals as well as learners.” We have not seen this in OHSU’s final offer or in the way they have conducted these negotiations. As nurses burn out and safe staffing withers, our executives make bold moves without regard to our priorities. We demand they do better.