The perimeter of Providence Medford Medical Center is seen fenced along McAndrews Road on June 17 ahead of the nurses strike.

Providence Medford Medical Center nurses will not attend a bargaining session with a federal mediator that the hospital proposed for July 10, but they say that they are willing to bargain on that date without a mediator present.

Hospital management proposed the July 10 bargaining session after calling-off a bargaining session slated for June 24 because a federal mediator would not available on that date. June 24 was the first Monday following Medford nurses’ participation earlier this month in what is believed to be the largest nursing strike in Oregon history.

Bargaining sessions between Providence and Oregon Nurses Association nurses at six hospitals — Providence Medford, Providence Hood River, Providence Milwaukie, Providence Newberg, Providence St. Vincent, Providence Willamette Falls — last occurred the first week of June. They were halted June 7 after nurses represented by ONA at six Providence hospitals issued a 10-day notice of strike.

Hospital officials said at the time that they called-off those negotiations in order to hire replacement nurses for the three-day strike and hire replacement nurses to fill the striking nurses’ shifts.

The hospital claimed in a statement issued Friday that union nurses “are refusing to mediate at all.” According to Providence, the hospital had received an email from a union leader that they were “no longer interested” in federal mediation.

Peter Starzynki, ONA deputy director for communications, said in a phone interview the union offered July 10 and July 25 without a mediator but he described the statement as “just not accurate” and a “half-truth.” 

“We’ve been telling them that we want to be at the negotiating table without a mediator for right now,” Starzynski said. He said that without a mediator present, all nurses from the ONA bargaining unit can attend. 

“Providence’s time would be better spent talking to us instead of writing ridiculous press releases,” he added.

Starzynski described leaving out the mediator as a matter of scheduling and expediency.

 “We want all of our nurses in Medford to be able to attend,” Starzynski said. He clarified that the union wants the full bargaining unit — not just the nurses on the bargaining team — to be able to attend bargaining sessions.   

Kate Kitchell, Providence Medford’s chief nursing officer, said in a phone interview that especially after a strike, a federal mediator is the quickest way to get a contract both parties can agree upon.

“It’s a standard of practice, a best practice — especially post-strike — and we think that’s our best path forward,” Kitchell said.

She said that union leaders have been sending “confusing messages” related to federal mediation in negotiations. She claims the union withheld economic proposals for nearly two months “citing their need for mediation.”

“It’s completely different from their messaging just a month ago,” Kitchell said.

She claims the proposal delays the hospital from implementing its “market-leading” pay and benefit package. Providence Medford’s entire package proposal has been “in their court” since the June 7 mediation session.

“It’s now been 20 days since we’ve heard from ONA,” Kitchell said. “Every day this goes on our nurses are losing thousands of dollars.”

She said mediators are impartial and “can help both sides move to find that fair contract that everyone feels good about.”

She’s still certain that one way or another “we’re going to get a deal,” but described a “slow way” and a “fast way.”

“There’s a slow way, and that slow way continues to create uncertainty for our community,” Kitchell said.

She touched briefly on uncertainty related to the first strike and the potential for a future one.

“I would like to avoid having that again for our community’s sake,” Kitchell said.