PORTLAND, Ore. — On the fifth day of a historic health care workers strike impacting Providence facilities in Oregon, the hospital system signaled that it is now prepared to resume negotiations at all eight of its hospitals.
The strike, which includes physicians as well as nurses and other health care workers, impacts 14 different Providence hospitals and clinics throughout the state. Providence has said that the process of setting up replacement workers at its facilities delayed its ability to bargain at each of them.
According to the hospital system, all eight of its hospitals in Oregon — finally including the two largest, Providence Portland and Providence St. Vincent — “are now ready to discuss resuming mediated negotiations” with bargaining teams from the Oregon Nurses Association…