ONA Statement: HHS Budget Proposal Will Devastate Nursing And Patient Care -04/18/25

(PORTLAND, Ore.) - The Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) condemns the Trump administration’s proposed FY 2026 Health and Human Services budget, revealed in a leak of the White House Office of Management and Budget “passback” document, as a blatant attack on public health and nursing. If enacted, this plan would slash HHS’s discretionary funding by roughly one third, cutting the total from about $117 billion to $80 billion and endangering vital services nationwide.

Under this proposal, the National Institutes of Health budget would tumble from $47 billion to $27 billion, a 42% reduction, and eliminate the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) entirely. NINR is the only federal institute dedicated to nursing science, funding studies that improve symptom management for patients with chronic illness, develop equitable care models in rural and Indigenous communities, and drive innovations in patient safety. Without NINR, nurses lose the evidence base they rely on to deliver high-quality care.

All Title VIII Nursing Workforce Development programs, including scholarships, loan repayment, faculty development, advanced practice training, and the Nursing Workforce Diversity program, would also vanish. These programs recruit and retain students from underrepresented backgrounds, support nurse educators, and help place skilled nurses in medically underserved and rural areas. Eliminating them jeopardizes the future of a diverse nursing workforce precisely when Oregon and the nation face a chronic staffing shortage.

The draft also dismantles the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, rescinding over $1 billion in grants for overdose prevention, community mental health centers, school-based services, and harm reduction programs. This comes as one in five Americans experiences a mental health condition and recent data show U.S. overdose deaths had begun to decline, progress now at risk of reversal if proven prevention and treatment services are defunded.

Meanwhile, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would see its budget slashed from more than $9 billion to $5 billion, wiping out programs that combat diabetes, heart disease, HIV/AIDS, childhood lead poisoning, and emerging infectious threats. Removing these prevention efforts dismantles the very infrastructure that keeps communities safe and healthy.

We call on Congress to reject this proposal in full, restore funding for nursing research, workforce development, mental health and substance use services, and disease prevention, and protect the health of every community in Oregon and beyond.

###

ONA Statement On OHA Community Review Board's Vote On OHSU's Proposed Acquisition Of Legacy Health -04/07/25

(Tualatin, Ore.) - Oregon Health and Science University’s (OHSU) acquisition of Legacy Health has widespread support from community leaders, including the Oregon Nurses Association (ONA), who are invested in creating a stronger and more vibrant healthcare system in Oregon. ONA represents thousands of frontline healthcare professionals at both OHSU and Legacy Health, who perform critical jobs that make these hospitals work. ONA strongly supports this acquisition because it will drastically increase our ability to recruit and retain more frontline caregivers while increasing access to high-quality care for Oregonians.

While ONA is disappointed by the advisory vote of the Oregon Health Authority's (OHA) community review board, which opted not to support the acquisition, we remain confident that this deal will be finalized.

Oregonians face agonizing delays in accessing needed care due to lack of capacity at OHSU, while Legacy has beds that are going unstaffed. OHSU’s $1 billion investment will address this critical challenge by hiring staff and modernizing outdated facilities. As a result, we believe patients will be more likely to see improved health outcomes if the transaction is approved. Patients will experience shorter wait times for care, healthcare workers will gain access to better training, and the system will improve language access and generate substantial resources to advance health equity, ultimately improving our community health. The system will create more opportunities for clinician collaboration and a seamless process for access to patient care records that will improve coordination and health outcomes. 

In addition, as a public institution, OHSU's transparency, at a time when patients are becoming more and more distrusting of our healthcare system, will extend to the new, integrated system, ensuring accountability and building public trust.

OHSU’s acquisition of Legacy Health is a win for patients, a win for frontline healthcare workers, and a win for all Oregonians. We look forward to the continuation of the Health Care Market Oversight process and for the acquisition to be approved.

The Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) represents a diverse community of more than 23,000 nurses and health care professionals throughout Oregon. Together, we use our collective power to advocate for critical issues impacting patients, nurses, and health care professionals, including a more effective, affordable and accessible healthcare system; better working conditions for all health care professionals; and healthier communities. For more information visit www.OregonRN.org.

TODAY: ONA President Tamie Cline To Join Local Leaders At Hillsboro “Hands Off” Rally April 5 (Photo) (Photo) -04/05/25

MEDIA ADVISORY: Saturday, April 5

(HILLSBORO, Ore.) – The Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) President Tamie Cline will speak at a “Hands Off” rally and march this Saturday, April 5 at 10 a.m. at the Hillsboro Civic Center Plaza (150 E Main St, Hillsboro, OR 97123). Cline is joining local elected officials and community leaders standing against attacks on workers’ rights, union protections, and vital public programs like Medicare and Medicaid. Following prepared remarks, speakers and attendees will march around the Washington County Courthouse to protest federal attacks on union rights, immigrants, and Social Security, among other crucial issues. 

The Hillsboro event is part of a nationwide day of action organized by Indivisible, a grassroots movement with thousands of local chapters across the country working to defend democracy and stop extremist efforts to roll back civil, labor, and human rights.

Cline will speak out against growing federal threats to union rights, health care access, and the core public programs and services Oregonians depend on. ONA represents nearly 400 nurses at Hillsboro Medical Center (formerly Tuality Hospital), part of the OHSU Health system, and more than 23,000 nurses and healthcare professionals throughout Oregon.

Together with other leaders and ONA members, Cline will call on elected officials at every level to keep their “hands off” hard-won rights and refocus on policies that support working families, not corporate interests.

WHO

Confirmed speakers include:

• Tamie Cline, President, Oregon Nurses Association
• Beach Pace, Mayor of Hillsboro
• Juan Carlos González, Metro Councilor
• Hilary Uhlig, Indivisible Hillsboro

WHEN

Saturday April 5 at 10 a.m.

WHERE

Hillsboro Civic Center Plaza, 150 E Main St, Hillsboro, OR 97123

Interviews with speakers are available immediately following prepared remarks and 

Media Advisory: ONA President Tamie Cline To Join Local Leaders At Hillsboro “Hands Off” Rally April 5 (Photo) -04/03/25

(HILLSBORO, Ore.) – The Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) President Tamie Cline will speak at a “Hands Off” rally and march this Saturday, April 5 at 10 a.m. at the Hillsboro Civic Center Plaza (150 E Main St, Hillsboro, OR 97123). Cline is joining local elected officials and community leaders standing against attacks on workers’ rights, union protections, and vital public programs like Medicare and Medicaid. Following prepared remarks, speakers and attendees will march around the Washington County Courthouse to protest federal attacks on union rights, immigrants, and Social Security, among other crucial issues. 

The Hillsboro event is part of a nationwide day of action organized by Indivisible, a grassroots movement with thousands of local chapters across the country working to defend democracy and stop extremist efforts to roll back civil, labor, and human rights.

Cline will speak out against growing federal threats to union rights, health care access, and the core public programs and services Oregonians depend on. ONA represents nearly 400 nurses at Hillsboro Medical Center (formerly Tuality Hospital), part of the OHSU Health system, and more than 23,000 nurses and healthcare professionals throughout Oregon.

Together with other leaders and ONA members, Cline will call on elected officials at every level to keep their “hands off” hard-won rights and refocus on policies that support working families, not corporate interests.

WHO

Confirmed speakers include:

• Tamie Cline, President, Oregon Nurses Association
• Beach Pace, Mayor of Hillsboro
• Juan Carlos González, Metro Councilor
• Hilary Uhlig, Indivisible Hillsboro

WHEN

Saturday April 5 at 10 a.m.

WHERE

Hillsboro Civic Center Plaza, 150 E Main St, Hillsboro, OR 97123

Interviews with speakers are available immediately following prepared remarks and can be coordinated with ONA’s media contact.

ONA: Trump’s Federal Employee Collective Bargaining Executive Order Is Dangerous Union-Busting Disguised As “National Security” -03/28/25

TUALATIN, Ore. – The Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) strongly denounces President Donald Trump’s executive order, signed last night, attempting to eliminate collective bargaining rights for nearly one million federal workers. No matter what the administration says, this is clearly not about national security. It is a political attack on working people and their unions, plain and simple. 

President Trump is targeting the public servants who care for our veterans, monitor public health, inspect our food and water, and respond to national emergencies. These workers are not a threat to our country; many of them are frontline caregivers and essential personnel who keep our communities safe. Removing their ability to speak out and advocate through their unions puts all of us at greater risk. 

As a union of nurses and health care professionals, we understand how dangerous it is when those on the front lines are silenced. ONA’s members know what it means to face retaliation for telling the truth, especially when that truth is inconvenient for those in power. We also know that unions protect not just workers, but the patients, families, and communities we serve. 

ONA does not represent federal employees, but we recognize this order for what it is: a test run to dismantle union rights nationwide. If the President can erase a million workers’ rights with the stroke of a pen, no worker in America is safe.  

Let’s be clear: this is not about efficiency or safety. This is about silencing the unions that have taken this administration to court and pushed back in the streets. It is retaliation, plain and simple, and it is dangerous. 

ONA stands in full solidarity with federal unions and every worker who is now under threat. The labor movement in Oregon and across the country is united. We will not be silenced. We will not be divided. And we will continue to organize to protect the rights and voices of working people. 

Unions are not a threat to national security. We are a cornerstone of democracy, and we are not going anywhere. 

The Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) represents a diverse community of more than 23,000 nurses, and health care professionals throughout Oregon. Together, we use our collective power to advocate for critical issues impacting patients, nurses, and health care professionals including a more effective, affordable and accessible healthcare system; better working conditions for all health care professionals; and healthier communities. For more information visit www.OregonRN.org.

###

ONA Condemns Trump Administration’s Plan To Gut The Department Of Health And Human Services: “Oregonians Will Suffer” -03/27/25

Hospitalist Healthcare Union Announces Name Change To Reflect Growth (Photo) -03/25/25

(Tualatin, Ore.) - To reflect the addition of new bargaining units and growth of membership, the Pacific Northwest Hospital Medicine Association (PNWHMA) will now be known as Northwest Medicine United (NWMU). Since 2022, nine additional bargaining units have been organized under NWMU, and three of those units settled their first contracts in recent months. The bargaining units now include adult, pediatric, OB and palliative care hospitalists, ED providers, urgent care providers, adult and pediatric subspecialists, and primary care and women’s health providers. In response to the exponential growth, the executive team of the union approved a name change to better reflect the diversity of providers and practice locations it represents. 

“We started in 2014, representing the original 24 hospitalists at PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center in Eugene. We now represent around 700 physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician associates across Oregon working in a variety of healthcare settings,” said Dr. Charlotte Yeomans, a physician from PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center and president of the union. “With all of our recent wins, I expect more healthcare professionals to consider what unionization might allow them to achieve in their workplaces.” 

Hospitalists are the physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician associates who care for hospitalized patients. They manage a patient’s care while in the hospital, working with specialists to determine what testing and treatments are needed. Hospitalists also facilitate discharge and handoff to primary care physicians.  

The formerly-named PNWHMA became the first hospitalists' union in the country when it was organized under the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) in 2014. Hospitalists at PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center chose to form a union when the medical center announced plans to outsource hospitalist services to a 3rd-party company. Before unionizing, the hospitalists were employed by the hospital-associated medical group under individual contracts.  

“Healthcare has become increasingly corporatized in recent years, which has only escalated since the economic devastation of COVID-19. Important medical decisions made by experienced healthcare providers are now frequently overruled by the short-term goals of those in the C-suite. By organizing and joining a union, we create a unified collective voice to advocate for our patients and colleagues,” continued Dr. Yeomans. “Our contracts not only cover pay and benefits but also include staffing and committee participation. As a union, we are better equipped to address specific concerns with administration.” 

Recent First Contract Wins 

Three bargaining units within NWMU have won historic first contracts in recent months. 

In January emergency department physicians and advanced practice providers reached a first contract with Providence Medford Medical Center. Throughout negotiations, members focused on the need to recruit more providers to Medford and the critical role of the ED within the hospital. 

It took nearly two years for physicians and advanced practice providers from PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Urgent Care to reach a first contract in February 2025. The urgent care providers were able to reach a deal that addressed their top priorities, including burnout, understaffing, safe patient care, and ensuring access to care for the region’s most vulnerable patients. 

Hospitalists employed by Providence St. Vincent participated in the recent Providence strike with nurses for almost six weeks, spanning January and February 2025, before approving a first contract. This was the largest healthcare workers' strike in Oregon history and the first time doctors and advanced practice providers walked a strike line in the state. The bargaining unit was able to negotiate an agreement to reform staffing models across all departments, improving patient care and safety standards; it secured increases to sick time, establishing equity with other Providence hospitalists; and it achieved significant pay raises to make Providence St. Vincent hospitalist compensation competitive with that of other regional health systems. 

The following bargaining units are represented by Northwest Medicine United: 

• PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Hospitalists  
• PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Urgent Care Physicians and Advanced Practice Providers 
• Legacy Pediatric Specialty Physicians 
• Legacy Adult Specialty Physicians 
• Legacy Hospitalists 
• Legacy Primary Care Advanced Practice Providers and Physicians 
• Legacy Women’s Clinic Physicians 
• Providence Immediate Care Physicians and Advanced Practice Providers 
• Providence Medford ER Physicians and Advanced Practice Providers 
• Providence St. Vincent Hospitalists  

About Northwest Medicine United (NWMU) 

Formerly known as the Pacific Northwest Hospital Medicine Association (PNWHMA), NWMU was created in 2014 as the first hospitalist-specific labor union in the United States. It has since expanded to represent physicians and advanced practice providers (APPs) in multiple disciplines and practice settings. NWMU (AFT Local 6552) is affiliated with AFT Healthcare--the fastest-growing healthcare union in the country. AFT Healthcare represents more than 200,000 members in 100 locals in 18 states and territories. NWMU is serviced by the Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) which represents more than 23,000 frontline caregivers at hospitals and clinics throughout Oregon.