The ONA said the union will be called the Southern Oregon Providers Association (SOPA) and will work to help improve patient care and make sure there are enough staff members to help patients.
According to the ONA, the doctors wrote a letter to the hospital’s management asking for permission to form the union, but their request was denied. So, on February 10, 2023, they went to the National Labor Relations Board to officially start the union.
Dr. Mollie Skov-Ortega, the leader of PNWHMA, said she’s happy that the doctors at Providence Medford are joining the union because it will give them a stronger voice to speak up for their patients.
Dr. David Levin, one of the doctors at Providence Medford, said that being short-staffed is making it difficult for him and his coworkers to do their best work and help patients quickly. He hopes that being part of a union will make it easier to fix these problems.
Providence has released the following statement:
Providence Medford respects the rights of caregivers to explore representation. We encourage people to learn as much as possible about joining a union before voting. To that end, we will provide open and transparent conversations, support and education so that they can make an informed decision.
Consistent with our existing labor principles, we will follow the NLRB’s process of a secret ballot election. Whatever outcome results- we will respect the decision, which is determined by the majority of eligible caregivers who vote.
CORRECTION: The headline of this article has been updated to reflect that the group plans to unionize but has not done so at this time.
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