Providence files unfair labor practice action against hospitalists for failure to bargain in good faith

January 13, 2025
NEWS RELEASE

Providence files unfair labor practice action against hospitalists for failure to bargain in good faith

Providence Medical Group (PMG) today filed an unfair labor practice complaint against The Pacific Northwest Hospital Medicine Association (PNWHMA), which is affiliated with the Oregon Nurses Association, accusing the union of bad faith bargaining.

In the filing, PMG says the union “unlawfully delayed bargaining by refusing to meet … at reasonable times and reasonable intervals for … bargaining.” PMG also says the union “made a regressive bargaining proposal and consistently delayed in responding to proposals and counterproposals … while concurrently posting flyers citing intent to participate in a January strike in coordination with other Providence facility bargaining units.” The filing also says the union conditioned bargaining on the employer engaging in similar bargaining with different bargaining units.  

The union’s actions violate the National Labor Relations Act.

Summary:

• PMG and union negotiators started negotiating a brand-new collective bargaining agreement for the hospitalists’ unit at Providence St. Vincent beginning in January 2024 and had 22 meetings by December 2024.
• In April 2024, the union made a proposal about subcontracting (hiring outside help). In November, they made a stricter, regressive proposal. Regressive bargaining occurs when one side goes back on their previous offers and suggests worse terms than they did before. Instead of making progress, this kind of bargaining makes it harder to reach an agreement.
• The union was slow to respond to PMG’s proposals and counterproposals, sometimes taking more than six months to respond at all.
• PMG tried to keep negotiations going in December through sessions facilitated by federal mediators.  
• The union sent Providence a strike notice on Dec. 30, 2024.
• PMG offered more meeting dates in January, but union leaders insisted they wouldn't negotiate unless all Providence facilities agreed to go back to the table for hospital RN units.

Bottom line: By failing to negotiate, delaying negotiations, making regressive proposals and conditioning meeting on negotiations for other units, PMG contends the union broke the law.

PMG is asking the National Labor Relations Board to find that the union acted in bad faith, to tell the union to negotiate fairly and without conditions, and to take any other necessary actions.