Talks bring ‘progress,’ but no end to week-old St. Charles Bend medical techs strike
(Update: Hospital issues statement)
'Progress made' but hospital left bargaining table Wednesday night, union says
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- "Long hours" of talks with a federal mediator Wednesday failed to resolve a strike by 150 medical tech workers at St. Charles Bend, now entering its second week, their union said Thursday.
The union claims progress was made, but hospital negotiators left around 9 p.m., rather than continue to bargain. The hospital, meanwhile, says it asked the union for its workers to return while talks continue.
Here's the full statement from the Oregon Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals, followed by one from St. Charles Health System.
After Long Hours Bargaining, St. Charles Refuses to Settle Contract
Despite entering our 8th day of the strike at St. Charles, the hospital was unwilling to settle the contract in mediated negotiations with the union.
BEND, Ore. -- Yesterday, the striking medical professionals at St. Charles met with management to negotiate for the first time since December 3rd. Despite the 10-day notice of the strike commencing, the hospital refused to bargain until March 10th, a full week into the walkout. Despite the union offering reasonable proposals that would have ended the strike and secured an agreement, management refused to move on key issues such as transparent wage increases.
“We have done everything we can to settle this contract and end this strike, but St. Charles leadership is dangerously out of touch with the people taking care of our community,” says Sam Potter, an organizer with OFNHP. “Every day that they prolong this strike, they are making a conscious decision to put our families, our community, in danger rather than pay their employees fair wages.”
In recent days, doctors and nurses inside the hospital have begun to raise concerns over the conditions that patients are facing. “There are only two technicians that even know how to use the equipment I was going to use for the case. And frankly, I didn’t feel safe with a bunch of temps coming in,” said Dr. Priscilla Pang, a pediatric neurosurgeon at the hospital. “It’s frustrating that, from a physician’s side of things, we are having to take that into account when we’re thinking about the safety of our patients,” she said. “It’s in everybody’s interest for St. Charles to support these [striking] workers.”
The nurses at St. Charles have raised serious concerns about how the hospital has handled negotiations. “The claim that the ‘hospital is open and providing care as usual’ made by hospital administration is not accurate, and it is simply impossible given the current circumstances. There are replacement surgical and radiology technicians on site, but they are not trained to the level that our native techs are as to the equipment, policies, best practices, and staff,” says Corey Sattler, an RN at St. Charles. Support from other healthcare professions has increased, including a recent statement from the physicians of the Pacific Northwest Hospital Medicine Association, calling on the hospital to end the strike and respect the striking workers.
The union is ready and available to negotiate at any time the hospital allows, but hospital management has not set additional dates. The moment an agreement is met the striking workers will go back to their jobs supporting patients. These frontline providers are calling on management to do the right thing for both staff and patients, and settle this contract. The strike will continue as long as necessary to reach a fair agreement.
Potter told NewsChannel 21 the union team was at the table from 8 a.m. until after midnight, but said the hospital's bargaining team left around 9 p.m.
"There was progress made and our team was feeling optimistic," before the hospital negotiators left for the night, Potter said.
"We expect talks to continue," Potter said. "We have more time scheduled today. Our union isn't walking away from the table, under any circumstances."
News release from St. Charles:
St. Charles and OFNHP met with federal mediator to continue negotiations on a first-time contract
Bargaining teams for St. Charles Bend and the Oregon Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals met Wednesday for continued negotiations on a first-time contract. This session included a federal mediator in an effort to move the process forward.
The parties exchanged proposals through the mediator in confidential sessions.
“The bargaining teams engaged in some joint sessions throughout the day, and the presence of the mediator was very helpful,” said Aaron Adams, president of St. Charles Bend. “We are hopeful we can get back to the table soon for further discussion.”
The St. Charles bargaining team shared with the OFNHP team that the hospital is eager to get back to the table and resolve the situation, but continues to find it challenging to both bargain and run the hospital during a strike. For this reason, St. Charles has asked the union if its members would be willing to return to work so the hospital can create an environment in which its team could better focus on bargaining.
“No one wins in a strike – not the health system, not our caregivers, not our patients, not our community,” Adams said. “We want the strike to end so we can get back to the table, resolve the contract and focus all of our energy on the most important work of all – caring for our patients.”
