Nearly all Portland City Councilors have signed a letter urging Providence to return to negotiations with the Oregon Nurses Association to resolve the ongoing strike. The letter, endorsed by 11 councilors, encourages management to address the union’s demands for increased wages and enhanced workplace safety.
The strike, which began on January 10, marks the largest nurses’ strike in Oregon’s history. While some workers have returned to their positions after reaching agreements with Providence, thousands of nurses across seven hospitals—from Hood River to Medford—remain on the picket line. The letter highlights the new council’s strong backing of labor unions, with all 12 councilors receiving endorsements from local and statewide labor organizations during their campaigns.
One councilor, Eric Zimmerman, did not sign the letter, but his choice was not based on disagreement with its content. Zimmerman, one of three representatives for District 4 in Southwest and inner Southeast Portland, opted to send a more critical letter to Providence’s leadership, expressing his concern over the hospitals’ failure to reach a resolution.
Other elected officials, including Governor Tina Kotek and all seven Democratic members of Oregon’s congressional delegation, have also called on the hospital and the union to find a resolution to the strike.
This initiative is part of a broader effort by Portland’s new council to demonstrate their support for union members. In January, councilors unanimously voted to overturn a complaint filed by the previous city council against the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 189, the city’s largest employee union.
