News Summary
Healthcare workers at Butler Hospital are nearing two months on strike against Care New England (CNE). They plan a rally to protest alleged intimidation and demand good faith negotiations. In a separate strike, 5,000 workers at Providence hospitals in Oregon raise concerns over staffing and wages. Both unions aim for improved working conditions in a challenging labor landscape.
Providence, Rhode Island – Striking healthcare workers at Butler Hospital are approaching the end of their second month on strike against Care New England (CNE) as they prepare for a rally to voice their grievances. Scheduled for 1 p.m. on Wednesday in front of Women & Infants Hospital, the workers intend to highlight their concerns regarding what they describe as a sustained campaign of intimidation, harassment, and retaliatory behavior by CNE.
The striking employees claim that CNE’s actions amount to unlawful behavior and are demanding that the company engage in good faith negotiations. They are expectant that the rally will draw attention from both public supporters and health officials, including a state senator, a state representative, and the executive minister of the Rhode Island State Council of Churches.
In response to the workers’ allegations, Butler Hospital and Women & Infants Hospital released a joint statement asserting that they have acted lawfully and in good faith throughout the contract negotiations. The hospitals characterized the accusations of engaging in unlawful actions as misleading and detached from the facts. They stressed their commitment to providing high-quality patient care and ensuring a respectful workplace for all employees.
The hospitals called on the union to return to negotiations with a more constructive approach to expedite reaching a fair agreement. They further clarified that there has been no lockout of employees, encouraging them to return to work whenever they prefer.
In a separate labor dispute, healthcare workers from Providence hospitals in Oregon began a strike on January 10, which involved nearly 5,000 healthcare professionals, including nurses and doctors. These workers have raised issues related to inadequate staffing levels, working conditions, and wages, indicating that their compensation has not kept pace with rising inflation rates.
The nurses’ union has been advocating for determining staffing levels based on patient acuity, a request that has yet to receive mutual agreement from Providence. In an attempt to resolve these disputes, Providence has proposed contract offers that include double-digit pay increases for nurses, emphasizing their commitment to providing fair wages.
A recent request from the governor has led both the union and Providence Health & Services to engage in intensive, in-person mediation in hopes of resolving the ongoing strike. However, after nearly three weeks of negotiations that have yet to yield resolution, the future for both the striking workers and Providence Health remains uncertain.
Previously, a tentative contract offered by Providence was overwhelmingly rejected by union members, with nurses citing dissatisfaction with pay and staffing arrangements. In contrast, approximately 80 providers at the Portland-area Women’s Clinics recently returned to work after ratifying their first labor agreement.
The ongoing challenges reflect a broader context of labor disputes in the healthcare industry, where many workers are advocating for improved working conditions, compensation, and patient care standards. The unions remain steadfast in their commitment to negotiate fair contracts that address essential issues of safe patient care, competitive compensation, and sustainable work environments for healthcare providers.
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Additional Resources
- Oregon Capital Chronicle: After Oregon Governor Steps In
- Wikipedia: Strike Action
- Fierce Healthcare: Largest Healthcare Strike in Oregon
- Google Search: Oregon healthcare strike
- Oregon Live: Providence Hospital Nurses Strike Deal
- Google Scholar: Healthcare Labor Disputes
- Oregon Capital Chronicle: Providence Nurses Reject Agreements
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Healthcare Workers Strikes
- Oregon Live: Thousands Walk Out in Strike
- Google News: Providence Oregon strike
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PROVIDENCE STAFF WRITER The PROVIDENCE STAFF WRITER represents the experienced team at HEREProvidence.com, your go-to source for actionable local news and information in Providence, Providence County, and beyond. Specializing in "news you can use," we cover essential topics like product reviews for personal and business needs, local business directories, politics, real estate trends, neighborhood insights, and state news affecting the area—with deep expertise drawn from years of dedicated reporting and strong community input, including local press releases and business updates. We deliver top reporting on high-value events such as WaterFire, Rhode Island International Film Festival, and Rhode Island Comic Con. Our coverage extends to key organizations like the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce and Providence Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau, plus leading businesses in finance and manufacturing that power the local economy such as Citizens Financial Group and Textron. As part of the broader HERE network, we provide comprehensive, credible insights into Rhode Island's dynamic landscape.
