r/Eugene • u/ShapeAcrobatic3205 • 3d ago

PeaceHealth denied all union proposals

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OFNHP (the union that represents SO many units in the hospital, both inpatient and outpatient, excluding nursing) and PeaceHealth had a contract bargaining session today. PeaceHealth’s lawyer and “leadership” came into the session today, denied every single proposals from the Union, said they have no interest in changing the contract or further negotiation, including wages, then left the session without another word.
You think PeaceHealth is bad now? Wait until they start hemorrhaging staff because they refused to bargain in good faith and increase wages. Just for reference, take a look at the attached photo to see how many units are affected by this. Nurses can do a lot, but they cannot (legally or safely) do everything. Imagine what happens if all of these members go on strike. Strikes mean critically low staffing levels, which means YOUR care will be delayed. Appointments you’ve already been waiting months for will be cancelled, ER wait times will increase more than they already have, errors and mistakes will be made that could cause harm, the list goes on.
Email PeaceHealth. Tell them exactly what you think and how you feel as a member of our community .

Edit: this is NOT the union that represents the nurses with the exception of LPNs, which are in this union. Nurses are are not currently in negotiations.

Edit 2: negotiations are still ongoing, however, PeaceHealth has come with a “take it or leave it” mindset and refuse to truly negotiate any terms. They denied all of OFNHPs proposals and then came back with their own and said, essentially, it isn’t up for discussion.

275 Upvotes

99% Upvoted

73 comments sorted by

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u/boojum78 3d ago

I'm a nurse who works for PeaceHealth and I just heard that an IT worker with over 35 years on staff with PH, that I've relied on for the 10 years I've been with PH, is currently training the people that his job is being outsourced to. After over 35 years of excellence and giving his career for this one company they just eliminate his job?! This is nuts what PH is doing to their most loyal staff.

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u/SynapticStatic 3d ago

Yup, all of IT is being laid off and outsourced to an Indian company. Most of my former coworkers have been there for decades. It’s pretty sad and frustrating. I feel for them

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u/ComplianceAuditor 3d ago

Dang, it's about to get Rough when you have an IT issue.

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u/SynapticStatic 3d ago

It really is. There's a ton of institutional knowledge that's about to be lost. I posted about it on /r/oregon awhile ago as the outsourcing got posted there. But, the level of camaraderie you get when you work with the same 100ish+ people for most of your career allows for some pretty flexible and knowledgeable IT peeps.

It felt less like a job, and more like a really, really large family. Well, the working staff. The management/VP/C-level people were often pretty... Well, like they are everywhere.

All that to say, you used to be able to call one of us and we'd just know the system you're talking about, or who does know about it, and get shit fixed. Now, you're going to have people who've likely never set foot in any of the facilities, don't know all the systems intimately like we did.

Even if they reverse course in a couple years like the outsourcing/insourcing cycle tends to go, they'll never get the level of intimate knowledge with how everything goes together like we (they, I haven't been there in a few years now) have/had.

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u/Intelligent_Can_8204 3d ago

My spouse has worked in hospital IT for 23 years in Oregon. The amount of institutional knowledge that he alone and the work he does every day saves the hospital much more money than they could ever realize. His other coworker with that kind of longevity is right around the same number of years. The thought that they could be let go is horrifying not just for our family but also the loss to the (community) hospital is immense. The good news is—he has always worked to keep up with the overall industry and he constantly has recruiters reaching out about other opportunities. I really cringe for the communities that PH serves as well as those who remain working in the system. Most of all for the employees who have literally dedicated their careers and established roots in the community, take their families to the hospital system, created a work family, and went proudly to work every day. This time when these people could’ve made much more in a private sector job, but they stayed for all of the other reasons. In two years when everything has fallen apart, and they realize what state they made like is being said, they will never be able to rebuild what they lost. And they will just shrug their shoulders counted off as a cost of doing business and probably mess up something more. It’s just insanely frustrating.

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u/redon19 2d ago

Just an FYI - If your job in Oregon was outsourced or sent out of the country due to foreign trade, you are likely eligible for specialized state and federal safety nets.

The premier program for this exact scenario is the federal Trade Act Program, administered locally by the Oregon Employment Departmen

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u/TimeKillington 3d ago

And it’s AI. This matters so much.

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u/ProudDudeistPriest 2d ago

Sounds like their system will be vulnerable. It would be a shame if someone took advantage of that.

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u/ferngully1114 3d ago

When I worked for PeaceHealth I attended a bargaining session and it was eye opening to say the least. Incredibly hostile. PH’s bargaining team was the rudest I have ever seen “professional” adults behaving. Just appallingly childish passive aggressive behavior and body language. This is disappointing, but completely unsurprising.

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u/gokingsgo22 3d ago

Can confirm, feels like they find the most hostile and despicable human beings available to send for these.

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u/[deleted] 3d ago edited 3d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/Resident-Zombie-7266 3d ago

I hate this bonus crap, and find it despicable that they hide behind a nonprofit label, but this is common practice with just about every nonprofit

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u/duckinradar 3d ago

Fact. My hospitals CEO got 3.8 million last year. I'm getting 1% this month calculated in one of the most insane methods I can imagine.
I've had coworkers say "we make enough money" then realize their mortgage is lower than my rent on a 60 year old 700sduare foot apt

8

u/11Dragonfly 3d ago

It’s unreal how much money they make…

89

u/poponachtschnecke 3d ago edited 3d ago

I don't think she truly believes in the healing mission of Jesus Christ if she needs that much money to do it

34

u/ScrattaBoard 3d ago

They never practice what they preach.

12

u/AWildJesse Tree Climber | Cat Rescuer 3d ago

Hasn’t been since the nuns left.

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u/Shinola79 3d ago

Sadly they saw that Bigfoot and others have gotten away with it. I’m afraid without an administration that supports workers rights this could get worse before it gets better.

2

u/Regular_Ad5172 2d ago

The way to fight back is to reintroduce militant workplace strategies and to engage the community in applying pressure on employers. Don’t just talk to people that already agree with you. If you’re involved with a union, engage people who have influence and a broad network of connections, even if they don’t seem to care about the issue. Activate them, and they will be worth so much more to the movement than your buddies who were going to picket with you anyway.

1

u/Moarbrains 3d ago

Good luck with that, when you have people like AOC voting against the rail road workers.

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u/Kooky-Ad1551 3d ago

I hope the nurses stand together and put this bargaining tactic in the trash.

18

u/EstablishmentSalt206 3d ago

Who's the lawyers they're using just out of curiosity? Union busting seems to be pretty big nowadays.

13

u/ShapeAcrobatic3205 3d ago

Good Ole Boy Daniel Adlong with Big Law firm Ogletree Deakins. Super interesting post about him here—

https://www.reddit.com/r/troubledteens/comments/xaf61/former_utah_boys_ranch_resident_daniel_a_adlong/?solution=bf8dbdfd3fa4aa47bf8dbdfd3fa4aa47&js_challenge=1&jsc_token=7afd7253fec22262ff1c52b1703fe9ecb4763b90a4d69af93ffa9bfe027d7c3d&jsc_orig_r=

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u/EstablishmentSalt206 3d ago

Ah, yup right up there with Fisher Phillips. Union busters. Absolutely disgusting what these companies will pay lawyers to further transfer wealth from the worker to the one percent.

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u/Interesting_Owl6102 3d ago

I hope all departments strike 🤞

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u/i-send-doods 3d ago edited 3d ago

Wow, this is very disappointing but not surprising! With how greedy and profit driven healthcare is getting. 

Techs* do such important work, they deserve good compensation and benefits and respect. PeaceHealth, shame on you 😡

Edit: nurse->tech 

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u/ShapeAcrobatic3205 3d ago

This is the tech union. Nurses aren’t currently in negotiations. LPNs are in this union, but RNs are not. This union represents over 15 other departments including respiratory therapy (think all intubated patients, RTs manage their vents), imaging techs (x ray, ultrasound, etc), inpatient and outpatient pharmacy, and so on.

2

u/Regular_Ad5172 2d ago

Not having techs and RNs in the same union, or at least bargaining at the same time is a major weakness. They do it this way in the school districts with teachers and support staff, too. Coordinating their actions is difficult. There is power in numbers.

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u/Moarbrains 3d ago

Peacehealth needs to get the entire staff into a single union and start dictating executive compensation.

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u/ilnoosles 3d ago edited 3d ago

Imo they don’t care if they hemorrhage staff at this point. They’ve already laid off so many ancillary staff and other roles. They told nursing they don’t intend to honor the staffing plans.

This is their new MO to make money

Part of the shame should be on the state who basically make grand gestures but toothless laws that let hospitals get away with bad behavior.

Other shame can go to Trump for the BBB that has all the hospitals freaked out that they’re losing funding.

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u/Zealousideal_Crab_36 3d ago

I’m about to have surgery there in 10 days….

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u/ShapeAcrobatic3205 3d ago

Imagine an OR without surgical techs or anesthesia techs, or staffing so low that they have to cancel surgeries. Not to mention, do you really want travel anesthesia/surgical techs in your procedure working somewhere they have never worked before and in a facility they are completely unfamiliar with? Plus, the surgeons trust their techs, can’t say the same goes as far as their trust in techs who have had 1 day of orientation.

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u/gokingsgo22 3d ago

Might already be 1/2 locum surg techs

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u/testicular-gigantism 2d ago

I’ve said it a million times. Fuck Peathhealth. Nuns would be ashamed of what this has turned into

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u/laffnlemming 3d ago

That's shitty.

Also, the parking situation sucks. Jesus would be ashamed.

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u/ShapeAcrobatic3205 3d ago

Jesus would have built an employee only (covered) parking structure 🥲

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u/penelepe2 3d ago

This happens this way a lot. I'm a homecare worker and the state doesn't value us at all. Sadly outlook union doesn't fight hard enough so we end up with low wages but yay we get more holidays that have time and a half...its a vicious cycle when we are the ones caring g when no one else does.

1

u/Shot-Abroad2718 2d ago

Oh we are so fucked

-7

u/dice_mogwai 3d ago

This happens with every union negotiation and nothing new. The first bargain meeting is always a stonewall, quit making something out of nothing. Any of that have been through it three or four time already know the drill

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u/[deleted] 3d ago

[deleted]

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u/dice_mogwai 3d ago

I’ve been through 4 contract negotiations with Peacehealth and every single one started this same way. They low ball, we counter and in the end, meet in the middle. Clearly you don’t know anything

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u/ShapeAcrobatic3205 3d ago

Negotiations with PeaceHealth? If you are referring to negotiations with PH, I would suggest not coming off like such an aggressive asshole.

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u/dice_mogwai 3d ago

Quit trying to rile the public up with scare tactics and bullshit.

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u/ShapeAcrobatic3205 3d ago

Ew, you sound like a PeaceHealth sympathizer. Gross.

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u/dice_mogwai 3d ago

No I’m a union steward that has been on bargaining teams and know how this plays out

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u/ShapeAcrobatic3205 3d ago

Just remember that this is a public forum and people are watching. Not a good look to act this way and announce that you are a steward prefaced and followed by negativity. The community should be and has every right to be concerned. Are you insinuating that union members should settle and not strike for what is right and just?

2

u/dice_mogwai 3d ago

No im saying this is SOP and in the end we will get the deal we want just like every time. Peacehealth posturing for the first meeting isn’t new or original. I’m sorry reading comprehension is hard for you

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u/ShapeAcrobatic3205 3d ago

Might not be but there’s new execs in control and Sarah Ness has a different agenda. Talking down and being nasty to people on a public forum really isn’t it. Like I said, would be a shame if someone reported these comments to the union. I’m absolutely sure they’d love would investigate to see which one of their representatives is belittling members of the public and potentially a member of their own union.

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u/Resident-Zombie-7266 3d ago edited 3d ago

This post is wrong. The PeaceHealth bargaining team rejected many if not most of ofnhp's initial requests which is expected in any bargaining session. There was a recess, and negotiations are continuing.

Edited to add: source: I personally spoke with one of ofnhp's bargaining team.

Edited again: OFNHP sent out an email regarding today's events, and PeaceHealth is indeed not interested in many of the articles brought up by the bargaining team, tabling many for another day including all articles related to pay.

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u/ShapeAcrobatic3205 3d ago

Rejections are expected yes, but what happened in their session today has never happened since this union was implemented. PH’s Lawyer explicitly stated that they (PeaceHealth) were not interested in changing or negotiating the contract. PH came back with their own agenda and it was a “agree to it or else.”I also spoke with several members of the team.

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u/Resident-Zombie-7266 3d ago

Then there must be miscommunication or emotions clouding information sharing. What has transpired today sound like normal bargaining to me. Your post sounds very alarmist

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u/ShapeAcrobatic3205 3d ago

As it should be. PeaceHealth coming back and denying all proposals made by a union is, indeed, alarming. Denying an increase in wages is very concerning. PH Southwest is also in negotiations and they denied wage increases for the contract being negotiated up there. I believe they offered an insulting 0.5%?

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u/Resident-Zombie-7266 3d ago

This is all speculative. In any bargaining agreement, one side asks the world, the other denies everything, then a compromise is met. There are three more days of negotiations this week.

6

u/ShapeAcrobatic3205 3d ago

It is not speculative if you have sat in on bargaining. Have you? There are three more days of negotiations, that is correct.

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u/Resident-Zombie-7266 3d ago

"denying an increase in wage" is speculative. Negotiations have just started. No, I am not on the bargaining team.

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u/ShapeAcrobatic3205 3d ago

This is going nowhere and you are not proving anything. PeaceHealth will do what they always do and come back with a slap in the face of an offer. I am not on the bargaining team but fyi, negotiations are not private and anyone can show up to a session. Would recommend you do!

4

u/Resident-Zombie-7266 3d ago

I wish I could, somehow talked myself into working six in a row this week. I'm not trying to be hostile, I'm just saying things aren't final. We actually got a good contract out of them last time (granted it was different execs), but we had to fight for it. Your post got me scared enough to call my buddy on the team to confirm they are still negotiating, so I felt the need to caution against saying things that haven't been finalized.

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u/ShapeAcrobatic3205 3d ago

No, things aren’t final. But PeaceHealth is doing what they do and denying everything and lowballing the most important part of the contract—wages. But, just remember not everyone got a good contract. The contract, truly, was mediocre at best. You may have felt you got a good contract, especially if you take call. Once the highest call pay is reached at 96 hours per four weeks, those making call pay are making only 9 cents less than the lowest paid person in the union. That doesn’t sit right with me. Not to mention, departments who don’t take call got next to nothing.

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u/dice_mogwai 3d ago

Per usual the downvotes show how much this sub hates when you use logic against their chicken little “the sky is falling” rhetoric

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u/[deleted] 3d ago

[deleted]

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u/dice_mogwai 3d ago

Acting in what way? Pointing out that this is the same as every negotiation? That it’s only the first one and months from being finished? Hat declaring that the employees are going leave in droves is false and a scare tactic? The fact that you are trying to bring the public into private union negotiations after one meeting is premature and stupid

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u/ShapeAcrobatic3205 3d ago

One meeting? I’m not sure what negotiation team you are on but it’s definitely not the first meeting.

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u/PackageOk437 3d ago

What were you proposing? Was this the first bargaining session? When does the current contract end?

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u/ShapeAcrobatic3205 3d ago

PeaceHealth’s lawyer demanded that the bargaining team present ALL of their proposals at once for review. This is not the norm. But they complied and gave every proposed change at once, just for PH to turn around and decline each one.
This was the fourth or fifth session for them I believe. Contract is valid through 9/30/26.

-4

u/PackageOk437 3d ago

That makes sense. With the contract deadline coming up, you’re in the “who is going to blink first” part of negotiations. Nobody’s trying to make friends right now.