Nurses at Providence Medford Medical Center will join caregivers at five other hospitals across the state in what the Oregon Nurses Association describes as the “largest nurses strike in Oregon history” covering more than 3,000 members.

The strike follows failed union negotiations that took place for four days earlier this week as part of what was described last week as “rare six-table mediation sessions with management,” according to earlier news reports.

The Medford hospital is among six Providence hospitals operating under expired contracts, joining Providence St. Vincent north of Beaverton, Providence Newberg, Providence Hood River, Providence Willamette Falls and Providence Milwaukie.

Virginia Smith, RN, a member of ONA’s board of directors and chair of the ONA Providence Willamette Falls Bargaining Unit, said at a Friday press conference in Wilsonville that management backed out of negotiations Friday after being formally notified that nurses would strike at the six hospitals effective 6 a.m. Tuesday, June 18.

The formal notification gives hospitals time to make arrangements such as transferring patients, Smith said, “because it needs to meet that need as soon as possible.”

ONA Executive Director Anne Tan Piazza said that the union is “still here” and ready to bargain with Providence management.

“Strikes do not delay negotiations,” Piazza said at the press conference, which was livestreamed. “Providence delays negotiations.”

Chris Pizzi, Providence Chief Executive for the Southern Oregon service area, said Friday afternoon in a Microsoft Teams interview that management had to back out of negotiations to make preparations for the strike but will return to the bargaining table once the strike concludes.

“Right now with the strike notice, our priority has to be on the community,” Pizzi said.

Nurse pickets are scheduled outside Providence Medford between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m. June 18-20 with “Additional Events TBD,” according to ONA website respectournurses.com.

During the strike, Providence will hire temporary replacement nurses through a “highly regarded agency,” Pizzi said. No Providence facilities will be closed during the strike, scheduled surgeries will proceed, and clinics and acute care clinics will not be affected.

“They will remain open without disruption,” Pizzi said.

Pizzi said that Providence leadership has been negotiating with hospitals since January and put on the table an “incredibly lucrative offer” a couple weeks ago. He said he wants to get past the dispute and reach a resolution.

“We’re disappointed, obviously,” Pizzi said. “We care about our nurses.”

Heated rhetoric during ONA’s Friday press conference, however, indicates that nurses and leadership remain far apart.

Caroline Allison, a Providence Medford RN on ONA’s negotiating team, said that when she began her nursing career, Providence was her first choice based on its stated values of compassion, dignity, justice, excellence and integrity.

“I said to myself those are my values, that’s my mission, that’s why I became a nurse,” Allison said at the press conference. “After 11 bargaining sessions in Medford and a week here in Wilsonville at the table with management, I can say I have never felt more disrespected by Providence.”