Providence, nurses union step up war of words as new Portland-area hospital strike looms

Providence, nurses union step up war of words as new Portland-area hospital strike looms 
The Lund Report; by Jake Thomas; 10/31/24 
Providence is accusing the state’s largest nurses union of “power flexing” after nurses at Providence St. Vincent signaled they are willing to strike in what could be another widespread work stoppage at the hospital system. The Oregon Nurses Association announced Thursday that 1,800 nurses at the hospital located in unincorporated Washington County, just west of Portland, gave union negotiators the green light to call for a strike. ... Nurses and allied health care workers at Providence’s Portland and Seaside hospitals as well as its Home Health & Hospice service went on strike in June last year. Each of the three workplaces eventually reached contracts with Providence. But the new contracts had shorter timeframes than usual because of the strikes and are set to expire on Dec. 31, 2024. All three began negotiations again with Providence management last month.