More St. Charles Staff Unionize

Home health and hospice nurses at St. Charles Health System voted to form a union on Dec. 8, becoming the latest cohort of St. Charles employees to become unionized. About 40 nurses across Central Oregon will now be represented by the Oregon Nurses Association, who already represent over 1,100 nurses in the St. Charles Health System.

Home care and hospice nurses are the latest St. Charles employees to form a union, though more cohorts of employers at the hospital system have been seeking representation for years. Credit: Photo courtesy of the Oregon Nurses Association

“Despite opposition from administration, we remain united in our endeavor and today’s vote reflects that. I look forward to a collaborative and transparent relationship with St. Charles so we can give our patients the best care and nurses will feel supported by the health system,” said Karin Arthur, a newly unionized registered nurse, in a press release.

ONA said the nurses wanted more input in local decision making and sought union representation to ensure they receive fair treatment, due process and adequate compensation to ensure patients get high quality care.

“Forming a union provides us the opportunity to better advocate for our patients and ourselves,” said Cherie Iannucci, RN, in a press release. “We take care of people after they leave the hospital, to prevent them from being readmitted. Readmissions add to the strain that our hospitals face right now due to surging cases of RSV, COVID-19 and the flu.”

Several groups of St. Charles employees have unionized since the start of the pandemic. In April 2021 about 150 technical workers in the hospital system agreed on a contract after organizing a strike. In June about 300 physicians, physician assistants and nurse practitioners joined a union after St. Charles announced it would lay off over 100 caregivers and eliminate 76 unfilled positions.

St. Charles is the largest employer in Central Oregon with about 4,500 employees. It has been hesitant to accept unionization in the past and didn’t meet with union representatives in the lead-up to the strike in April 2021. A statement from the hospital after the home care nurses vote to unionize said the health system was disappointed but would participate in negotiations.

“While we are disappointed in the outcome of the election, we respect the rights of our caregivers to be represented by a union and over the coming months, we will work with the union to reach a contract that meets both of our interests,” said Debbie Robinson, director of Home-Based Care, in a press release.

Over the next few weeks nurses will negotiate their contracts and establish bylaws. The Lund Report disclosed that the unionization drive in June is still pending, and that the union is criticizing St. Charles for hiring two “union-busting” consultants.

This article appears in Source Weekly December 22, 2022.