Nurses at Legacy Mount Hood Hospital vote to authorize strike

Nurses at Legacy Mount Hood Medical Center in Gresham voted Friday to authorize a strike, following 21 months of negotiations.

The vote could affect 400 registered nurses working at the hospital. Among their list of demands, the nurses are asking for increased pay, more affordable health care and protection from shortened shifts.

The strike authorization allows the union to call a strike at any time, although it must provide Legacy Healthy with at least 10 days prior notice.

The Oregon Nurses Association, the union representing Mount Hood nurses, does not release official tallies of strike authorization votes. A spokesperson said Saturday that 93% of bargaining unit participated in the vote, with an “overwhelming majority” voting in favor.

The nurses union at Legacy Mount Hood formed in 2023, but negotiations for a first contract with Legacy Health are still ongoing.

Annie Davidson, a nurse at Legacy Mount Hood for seven years, said the ultimately failed merger plan between Legacy and Oregon Health and Science University prolonged the negotiating process. But she added the two sides are still far apart on many issues, including the union’s desire for a more competitive pay package.

“Legacy has fallen behind the Portland metro area in wages, and so that just makes it really hard to retain the excellent nurses that we have and also to recruit new ones,” Davidson said.

In a written statement issued Saturday, Legacy Health stated that it’s “hopeful we can reach agreement with our nurses at Legacy Mount Hood Medical Center ahead of a strike, and we continue to engage in good faith bargaining with the Oregon Nurses Association as we work to reach an agreement which benefits our employees, patients and the communities we serve.”

Legacy operates the second-largest health system in Oregon. Earlier this year, nurses at three other hospitals in its system — Good Samaritan, Emanuel and Randall Children’s — all voted to unionize.