Salem, OR – In one of Oregon’s largest medical strikes in recent history, Providence St. Vincent Medical Center physicians have reached a significant agreement, marking a key development in a prolonged labor dispute. More than 70 hospital doctors, who have been on strike for over a month, approved a historic contract deal late last week. The new agreement, which was announced on Saturday, is the first union contract for the bargaining unit, which was organized by the Oregon Nurses Association (ONA).
Dr. Jahnavi Chandrashekar, an internist at Providence St. Vincent, described the deal as a “historic win” for the physicians. “We will have safer staffing, be able to better recruit and retain hospitalists, and can spend more time with our patients,” she said in a statement. The contract includes wage increases, improved sick time policies, and provisions aimed at managing the hospital’s high patient volume more effectively. These changes, according to the physicians involved, represent a much-needed shift toward better working conditions and patient care.
Providence, the nonprofit health care system that operates St. Vincent, issued a brief statement expressing its satisfaction that the St. Vincent physicians had approved their contract. However, this agreement constitutes only a small piece of a much larger labor action. The strike, which began on January 10, has involved around 5,000 health care workers, including nurses, across Providence’s Oregon facilities.
Despite the progress made at St. Vincent, the larger strike remains unresolved. The Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) announced on Tuesday that tentative agreements had been reached for the majority of bargaining units involved in the strike. However, by Friday, nurses at seven Providence facilities voted to reject the proposals. The union’s proposed contract included pay increases, a bonus to compensate for lost wages during the strike, a one-hour pay penalty for nurses who work through breaks, and the establishment of a workgroup to examine the health insurance benefits provided to Providence nurses.
Despite these concessions, many nurses expressed dissatisfaction with the offer, particularly because it did not include retroactive pay for the period during which they worked without a contract. Additionally, the contract did not address the union’s desire to align contract expiration dates across all bargaining units, leaving some workers with fewer guarantees about future negotiations. The rejection of the deal underscores ongoing concerns about compensation and staffing levels in Oregon’s health care sector.
Providence responded to the nurses’ rejection of the contract with a firm defense of its compensation packages and staffing levels. The health system refuted claims that its offerings were below market standards or that staffing would be inadequate. Providence also pointed to the low turnover rate for registered nurses at its Oregon hospitals, which it said was at its lowest level in three years, and claimed that the hospital system had a vacancy job rate of 5.74%.
Despite the physicians’ contract being approved, the ongoing strike shows no immediate signs of ending. Providence said it was in discussions with federal mediators about the next steps in negotiations. The health care system is continuing to work toward resolving the remaining issues and reaching an agreement with the striking nurses and other workers.
As the strike continues, the situation remains tense, with thousands of workers still on the picket lines, fighting for improved conditions and compensation. For now, the St. Vincent physicians’ historic victory represents one step forward in what has become one of the most significant labor disputes in Oregon’s history.
