I'm working during the picket (or live hundreds of miles away), can I still pledge my support? YES! We ask all AURN nurses to pledge their support, but understand that management doesn't always do their job of giving nurses their full meals and breaks, so it's hard to predict if you can attend. By pledging your support, you agree to attend if you can get a meal or break, and you will come before or after your shift, if the timing allows that. If you work remotely, by pledging your support you agree to drive to OHSU to join the picket if at all possible before or after your shift. And if you are a remote employee and live hundreds of miles away, you pledge to support by taking a picture of yourself with an AURN sign to send in and/or volunteer to support virtually in whatever other way you can. Every bit of help counts, and we need every AURN nurse to pledge their support for this action.
Is this the same as a strike? No. Informational picketing is not a strike.
During a strike, nurses collectively withhold their labor by refusing to report for their shifts. A strike is the most powerful economic tool workers have in the workplace. Like striking, picketing is a visible, public demonstration of union solidarity. It shows that nurses are committed to one another, and to holding the line on issues they care about. Unlike a strike, hospital business continues as usual during an informational picket. Nurses must continue to report for work; participating in the picket during non-work hours (i.e., before/after a shift or during breaks).
Is informational picketing really necessary? While we hope we can reach agreement soon, we’re still far apart on key issues related to staffing, recruitment and retention, workplace safety, and justice, equity, inclusion, & diversity. Engaging in informational picketing will alert our patients and the community to the fact that the OHSU administration is not in alignment with the values and priorities held by nursing staff. Our AURN Bargaining Team encourages every single AURN nurse to pledge their support for an informational picket.
Can I get in trouble? Informational picketing is legally protected activity under state labor law, as long as we give the employer proper notice and limit our activity to public areas around the hospital. Under Oregon's Public Employee Collective Bargaining Act (PECBA) it is illegal for managers to talk to employees about picketing or question their plans to participate, just as it is illegal for managers to monitor, question, or punish employees for any union-related activity. Additionally, we will only conduct an informational picket if the vast majority of nurses support this, so no one stands alone. It is much harder for management to target people, if everyone takes part and its the best thing we can do to win a strong contract!
Does this vote mean we're moving closer to a strike? If the employer is unwilling to move towards agreement after we engage in picketing, our AURN bargaining team may determine that a strike authorization vote is necessary. Our current contract expires June 30th, and we don't know when we might reach impasse at the bargaining table necessitating a strike vote. Under the law in Oregon for public employers (PECBA), if we reach impasse in negotiations, we will enter a 30 day cooling off period before a strike could occur. We will also issue a public 10 day notice to conduct a strike. We have not yet reached that point, and are hopeful we can avoid it.
What else can I do to support our campaign? Join the Contract Action Team (CAT) if you haven't already. Email aurnlaborreps@oregonrn.org to get involved. If you are already on the CAT, be sure to help speak with all your peers about the picket pledges and learn about what is most important to your colleagues.
