On April 4th, professionals working for PeaceHealth Southwest filed with the National Labor Relations Board to form a union. These healthcare professionals have opted to join the Oregon Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals (OFNHP), a local affiliate of the 1.7 million AFT Nurses and Health Professionals. These workers have signed a supermajority of union authorization cards, which then gives the employer the opportunity to recognize the wishes of their employees or to force a union election.
"We are incredibly excited to welcome the PeaceHealth pros into our union and help them acquire the voice they need to preserve the future of patient care and outcomes," says OFNHP President Sarina Roher, who works in Kaiser Permanente's pro unit. "We know that when a hospital's professional staff wins a union, they can advocate for better wages, working conditions, and standards of care. Our patients are the real winners."
These workers fill highly skilled positions requiring advanced degrees and licensure, and include physical therapists, pharmacists, chaplains, mental health professionals, and many other essential roles.
These workers are part of a recent wave of unionization with OFNHP, to include most recently techs at Legacy Meridian Park. Last year, nearly 1,400 OFNHP members in the PeaceHealth system led a five-day strike to secure an historic contract. Next year OFNHP will negotiate one of the biggest union contracts of the decade with Kaiser Permanente as part of the 52,000 worker Alliance of Healthcare Unions.