Emily Cureton
Originally published on March 2, 2021 2:27 pm
More than 150 medical technicians and therapists at the Bend hospital plan to stop working Thursday, leaving the future of surgeries, respiratory therapy and many essential diagnostic services up in the air.
St. Charles Health System tried to stop the planned strike through a federal restraining order, but a judge shot that request down at a hearing Tuesday morning, saying it exceeded his authority.
U.S. District Court Judge Michael J. McShane chided St. Charles’ attorneys directly: “You failed to mention a wealth of case law against your position,” McShane said.
Besides unsuccessfully filing for a restraining order in court, St. Charles is seeking to stop the strike through pending complaints to a federal agency, the National Labor Relations Board.
St Charles says union rejected offer to talk - if it would drop plans to strike ktvz.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from ktvz.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
St. Charles Health System is continuing to prepare for a strike of its technical employees who are represented by the Oregon Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals. According to the notice received last week, the strike is set to begin at 8 a.m. on March 4 and will last for an indefinite period of time. OFNHP represents about 150 technical caregivers on the St. Charles Bend campus. According to St Charles Health System's latest media release: St. Charles has filed two unfair labor practice charges against OFNHP with the National Labor Relations Board because we believe the strike notice was not lawful and that the union is not bargaining in good faith. "The National Labor Relations Act requires that when a first contract is being negotiated the union must provide at least 30-days' notice of the contract dispute to state and federal mediation agencies so the dispute may be resolved without a work stoppage," said Rebecca Berry, vice president of Human Resources
"St. Charles Health System is disappointed that a federal judge declined to grant an injunction request today that would have paused the strike of its technical employees that is planned to start at 8 a.m. Thursday, March 4," a news release from St. Charles stated today. The judge indicated the federal court did not have the authority to issue an injunction based upon the fact that the issue is being heard by the National Labor Relations Board. "We had hoped the courts would give us additional time to get back to the bargaining table with the Oregon Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals so that we could reach a contract agreement without an impact to our patients," said Aaron Adams, president of St. Charles Bend. "We are disappointed in the outcome but will continue our preparations to hire and onboard replacement workers and minimize disruptions to our patients and community." The issue of legality of the strike notice is still being investigated
Judge won t issue injunction; St Charles Bend medical tech workers strike still on ktvz.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from ktvz.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.