Nurses in Oregon take to the picket lines to demand better staffing, higher pay

abcnews.go.com:

More than 3,000 nurses at six Oregon hospitals have spent a second day on the picket lines as they continued to demand fair wages and better nurse-to-patient ratios

More than 3,000 nurses at six Oregon hospitals spent a second day on the picket lines Wednesday carrying signs that say, “Patients over profits” and “We're out to ensure it's safe in there,” as they continued to demand fair wages and better staffing levels.

Nurses are striking at six Providence medical facilities across the state — from St. Vincent Medical Center in Portland in the north down to the Medford Medical Center in the south.

Organizers say it’s the largest nurses strike in the state’s history, while Providence emphasized that no patient’s health is being put at risk, since it has hired contract workers to temporarily fill the void.

Scott Palmer, chief of staff with the Oregon Nurses Association, said nurses have been in negotiations since December but they “have not been able to get Providence to come to a fair contract.”

Palmer said the focus of negotiations is on “recruitment and retention issues,” including wages, benefits and sufficient staffing standards.

Jennifer Gentry, chief nursing officer for Providence's Central Division, said the organization contracted with a company to provide replacement workers to ensure patient care does not suffer. Gary Walker, a spokesperson for the company, said the strike has not affected their facilities. They treated about 800 people in their Emergency Departments on Tuesday and no elective surgeries have been postponed.

Palmer said the striking nurses want people to get the care they need, but they want the caregivers to be supported.

“It’s really important for people to know from the nurses and from the