Recent ONA Questions
Will ONA protect us from losing
spousal health insurance coverage
in 2016? The bottom line now is that
administration
April 2, 2015can take that away with
NO discussion. This is true of every
benefit. But if nurses are represented,
they would have to discuss this with us
first. ONA nurses who just bargained
at Seaside, Hood River, Portland and
Home Health did not accept any such
change. Here, if we win our election,
nurses would have a say and
administration would have the duty to
bargain in good faith with nurses over
this or any material change related to
working conditions.
bylaws that are set by nurse members
across the state. The bylaws state that
dues are calculated as: “the average
annual base wage after three (3) years
of employment from the starting wage
as a beginning staff nurse in ONArepresented facilities will be
established as of April 1 each year.
Beginning July 1, the annual dues will
be one percent (1%) of that average
base wage or the previous year’s
dues, whichever is the larger amount.”
Any increase outside of this must be
voted on at an ONA convention by
nurses. Staff at ONA do not set or
make decisions about dues increases.
Can I pay my dues in an annual
lump sum? Yes.
What other benefits does being an
ONA member entail? The primary
benefits are having experienced labor
staff help negotiate and enforce
contracts, protection against unilateral
changes at work and defense against
unfair disciplinary actions. But there
are other important aspects to ONA
membership. ONA nurses also have
access to individual consultations on
questions of scope of practice, safety
equipment, career counseling and safe
patient handling.
What do other ONA nurses pay?
Providence St. Vincent (PSTVMC) $82,
Providence Portland (PPMC) $82,
Seaside $78, Hood River $78 per
month.
What are the estimated dues for
Newberg nurses again? It may vary
depending on what nurses here elect
to set aside for our own unit.
Full time (FT): about $82/month
Part time (PT)/Per Diem: about $43/
month for nurses working under 64
hours a month.
Do I have to pay dues twice if I’m a
member at a different ONA facility?
No. Nurses who work at two ONA
facilities pick a base hospital for the
purposes of membership and only pay
dues once.
Are there other perks to ONA
membership? Yes! Check out the
ONA website for more information
www.OregonRN.org.


Are my dues tax deductible? Yes.
How are dues amounts determined?
Dues are determined by the ONA

Access to continuing education
including free or discounted
webinars and workshops.
Access to scholarships and funds
for Continuing Education (CE) and
conferences.
Free legal consulting services.
Providence Newberg Medical Center (PNMC)
Election FAQs
Who gets to vote?
Generally: all staff nurses
who perform direct patient
care at PNMC. Specifically:
we are working on a list with
the NLRB and will share it
directly. There will be no
surprise about who votes.
What’s the election
process like? It is a secret
ballot election. There will be
nurse observers for ONA
and non-supervisory
observers for management.
The election is run by the
NLRB agent. Voting nurses
sign in, receive the ballot,
vote in a booth, then turn in
their ballot.
What determines the vote
outcome? The majority of
those who vote determine
the outcome. So if 100
nurses vote and 51 vote
yes, we win. Obviously we
want every nurse to
exercise their voice and
vote yes!
ONA Meetings
Every Wednesday
11 a.m. and 7:30 p.m.
AWPPW Local 60
2414 Portland Road
Newberg, OR
Between
Sherman Williams
and Auto Zone
Oregon Nurses Association | 18765 SW Boones Ferry Road Suite 200 | Tualatin OR 97062 | 1-800-634-3552 within Oregon | www.OregonRN.org
Oregon Nurses Association
Bargaining Unit Newsletter
Newsletter
April 14, 2015
Nurses Move Towards Our ONA Election
Last Friday we filed 109 authorization cards signed by
72 percent of nurses with the National Labor Relations
Board (NLRB). This was the first step in moving us to
our union election.
The NLRB board agent contacted both administration
and ONA’s legal counsel. We are currently in the
process of trying to reach an election agreement. The
only thing settled are the times: 6:30—8:30 a.m. and
6:30-8:30 p.m. The NLRB recommended election dates
of May 6, 11 thru 15, 18, 20-22. ONA staff are available
and many nurses are in favor of the May 6 date, or at
least the following week. We want no delays.
Management has only offered two dates: May 20 and
May 21, stating that they their attorneys are unavailable.
We will keep you apprised of any developments.
Also on last Friday nurses received a letter from Lori Van
Zanten, chief executive officer (CEO) and Yvonne Kirk,
chief nursing officer (CNO), cautioning nurses against
signing authorization cards. This letter came after we
already filed. Even so, we want to clarify.
A signed authorization card does not instantly create a
union. If a nurse signed an ONA authorization card and
ONA went to administration to bargain improved working
conditions for him/her, nothing would happen.
Administration has ZERO obligation to discuss anything,
nonetheless negotiate, until the NLRB certifies ONA as
the union. That cannot happen until we win an election.
There also have been no promises about pay or staffing.
That’s not what this has been about. It is no coincidence
that ONA nurses at other Providence hospitals who have
the right to negotiate over working conditions earn more
and have a direct voice in staffing decisions. The fact
that administration raises it now demonstrates the
disconnect between nurses’ concerns and what they
think is important to us.
If there has been any doubt, our goal from the start
has not changed. Patients in our community deserve
excellent care and nurses deserve a fair workplace.
We simply want a seat at the table and to have a voice
in decisions that affect both of those crucial aspects.
Only together can we accomplish this.
Thanks to Nurses, Family and Friends Who Joined the Newberg Camellia Festival & Race
Despite the rain
clouds, several
nurses joined
friends and family
to walk and run in
our local 5 and
10k right here in
Newberg.
Thanks for
coming out and
showing your
support!
Oregon Nurses Association | 18765 SW Boones Ferry Road, Suite 200 | Tualatin, OR 97062
1-800-634-3552 within Oregon | www.OregonRN.org
A Message of Support From a Former Colleague
“The people in
Med/Surg were
like family to me. I
wish you all the
best and
encourage you to
win your election
so that each of
you is afforded a
voice when a
mistake such as
mine is made.”
Linda Bryant, RN
Meet Linda Bryant. She is a registered nurse who
lives in our community and was a former colleague
in our Med/Surg Department. Her coworkers all
described her as a super hard working, good nurse.
In December of 2012, Linda was terminated by
Providence Newberg Medical Center for improper
documentation and return or waste of medication.
Medication was found in her locker, the worst
offenders being two ambien and one trazadone. No
this is not good practice. But it happened a lot on
nights on the Med/Surg floor. At the start of your shift
the patient refuses a medication but wants the option
of taking it in a little while. To save time you put it in
your pocket. You round again and the patient is
asleep. You forget about it. By the end your shift
you’re exhausted and you want to go home. You’ve
clocked out and you discover it’s still in your pocket.
You put it in your locker with the intention of wasting it
the next time you have a minute.
Linda’s locker was opened without notice and these
medications were found during the day on a Tuesday.
She came to work Tuesday night discovered her
locker was empty and immediately emailed her
manager because she thought this was done in error.
Linda received a reply before her shift started with the
assistant manager stating they didn’t realize it was her
locker they thought it was a former employee’s. She
worked her shift that night and the next morning was
called in by her manager who placed her on
administrative leave pending further investigation. On
Friday of the same week she met with the manager
and assistant manager. They told her she would be
on administrative leave until they made their decision
of what to do. The following Monday she was given
her termination letter. She was also told to self-report
to the OSBN within 24 hours or else the manager
would, which Linda did. None of the Providence
policies regarding the method of locker search and
termination were followed. The OSBN investigated
the case and dismissed it immediately without
discipline. Linda is the first to admit what she did was
wrong and she should have never done it. Nurses
without a union are employees at will and can be
terminated without cause, no matter what kind of
employee they have been.
Here’s the kicker though. She was deemed ineligible
for rehire throughout the entire Providence System.
She used the Providence grievance process, not to try
to get her job back, but to request she be designated
eligible for rehire someday. Her grievance was denied
at the manager level, then again by Yvonne Kirk,
CNO. When the grievance reached Lori Van Zanten,
CEO, the final decision maker on any grievance at
Newberg, Linda received a letter from her. The letter
stated a decision was made to “amend your rehire
status to be eligible for hire throughout PH&S with the
exception of the current position vacated through this
event.” Linda interpreted this to mean she would not
get her current position back immediately but perhaps
sometime in the future. In this letter Ms. Van Zanten
also recognized Linda’s acceptance of the practice
that led to her termination and her “clear commitment
to improve your practice by completing three courses
approved by the National Council of State Boards of
Nursing.” These courses were related to
documentation, medical errors and disciplinary
actions against nurses.
Stay Tuned: Details about our ONA election coming soon!
Continued on next page
Continued from previous page
At the beginning of the year in 2014 Linda had seen an
on-call position available at Providence Newberg
Medical Center in the Med/Surg Department. She
decided to contact the manager of the department to
see if he would even consider rehiring her. He said he
was familiar with the events that led to her dismissal in
December 2012 and would reconsider her for rehire but
she was currently deemed ineligible for rehire. Linda
provided the manager with a copy of the letter written
by Ms. Van Zanten. He said this changes everything
and that she could apply for the position. Within a week
he contacted Linda to say that Lori would not consider
Linda for rehire.
When asked what she would like to say to her former
colleagues, this is what Linda had to share: “All I can
say is during the three years I worked at Newberg
Providence I strived to provide exceptional care to my
patients. I frequently volunteered to work extra hours
when the Med/Surg floor was in need of nurses and at
times came in on my days off bringing some patients
flowers to cheer them up. I thought my commitment to
the hospital and my patients in addition to my
relationship with my co-workers was clear. Yes I made
a mistake – one in which I needed to have
repercussions for. I never thought something like my
mistake would lead to such a humiliating experience/
outcome. After my termination I learned of other
incidences where nurses had done things more
extreme than myself yet were treated with much more
leniency. I took full ownership for my actions and was
willing to do anything to make it right: go on a work
plan, take more education, get daily reviews. I would
have been happy to do whatever it took to prove my
commitment and diligence to Providence but I was
never afforded that opportunity. I didn’t have a voice
and left feeling humiliated.
The people in Med/Surg were like family to me. I wish
you all the best and encourage you to win your election
so that each of you is afforded a voice when a mistake
such as mine is made.”
Is Checking The ER Census Board a HIPAA Violation?
Historically, nurses, supervisors and administrators have
checked the Emergency Room (ER) census board to
plan for admissions, discharges, and staff. This is
particularly true in Med/Surg and the Intensive Care
Unit (ICU). It is necessary to review an ER patient’s
complaint, vitals and labs to anticipate admissions,
especially for a potential ICU patient. Not doing so would
result in long waits for our patients and being ill prepared
to give proper care.
Nurses have been told that accessing ER records thus
was a Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
(HIPAA) violation and that we should not be doing it.
Human resources began auditing access to those
records by floor nurses. Administration has said various
things, that nurses in other facilities are in counselling
for this violation and then later that nurses have been
terminated for it. There has been only one recent
incident at a Providence hospital where an ONA
member was disciplined, not fired, for this same thing.
ONA objected and the hospital withdrew the discipline.
Basically, administration told nurses that accessing a
chart prior to the patient being assigned to the unit is a
violation. This blanket statement is a grave allegation
against nurses without proper background. Use of
protected health information is permitted for the
treatment of patients. Treatment includes: “provision,
coordination, or management of health care-related
services.” View the American Association of Critical Care
Nurses (AACN) article, Patients’ Confidentiality and other
resources on the ONA/PNMC www.OregonRN.org
webpage. Many arbitration cases overrule these types
of discipline when accessing the information was for an
appropriate purpose.
What is most troubling is how this is being rolled out.
Again, no discussion with nurses. Again, a unilateral
decision negatively affecting how we deliver patient care.
Again, no clear communication. This is an example of
why so many of us are working to form a union. We want
to be involved in decisions and to be treated fairly. In the
interim, ONA will advocate on behalf of any nurse
unfairly disciplined for appropriately accessing patient
information for the purposes of providing care.
A Message of Support From a Former Colleague
“The people in
Med/Surg were
like family to me. I
wish you all the
best and
encourage you to
win your election
so that each of
you is afforded a
voice when a
mistake such as
mine is made.”
Linda Bryant, RN
Meet Linda Bryant. She is a registered nurse who
lives in our community and was a former colleague
in our Med/Surg Department. Her coworkers all
described her as a super hard working, good nurse.
In December of 2012, Linda was terminated by
Providence Newberg Medical Center for improper
documentation and return or waste of medication.
Medication was found in her locker, the worst
offenders being two ambien and one trazadone. No
this is not good practice. But it happened a lot on
nights on the Med/Surg floor. At the start of your shift
the patient refuses a medication but wants the option
of taking it in a little while. To save time you put it in
your pocket. You round again and the patient is
asleep. You forget about it. By the end your shift
you’re exhausted and you want to go home. You’ve
clocked out and you discover it’s still in your pocket.
You put it in your locker with the intention of wasting it
the next time you have a minute.
Linda’s locker was opened without notice and these
medications were found during the day on a Tuesday.
She came to work Tuesday night discovered her
locker was empty and immediately emailed her
manager because she thought this was done in error.
Linda received a reply before her shift started with the
assistant manager stating they didn’t realize it was her
locker they thought it was a former employee’s. She
worked her shift that night and the next morning was
called in by her manager who placed her on
administrative leave pending further investigation. On
Friday of the same week she met with the manager
and assistant manager. They told her she would be
on administrative leave until they made their decision
of what to do. The following Monday she was given
her termination letter. She was also told to self-report
to the OSBN within 24 hours or else the manager
would, which Linda did. None of the Providence
policies regarding the method of locker search and
termination were followed. The OSBN investigated
the case and dismissed it immediately without
discipline. Linda is the first to admit what she did was
wrong and she should have never done it. Nurses
without a union are employees at will and can be
terminated without cause, no matter what kind of
employee they have been.
Here’s the kicker though. She was deemed ineligible
for rehire throughout the entire Providence System.
She used the Providence grievance process, not to try
to get her job back, but to request she be designated
eligible for rehire someday. Her grievance was denied
at the manager level, then again by Yvonne Kirk,
CNO. When the grievance reached Lori Van Zanten,
CEO, the final decision maker on any grievance at
Newberg, Linda received a letter from her. The letter
stated a decision was made to “amend your rehire
status to be eligible for hire throughout PH&S with the
exception of the current position vacated through this
event.” Linda interpreted this to mean she would not
get her current position back immediately but perhaps
sometime in the future. In this letter Ms. Van Zanten
also recognized Linda’s acceptance of the practice
that led to her termination and her “clear commitment
to improve your practice by completing three courses
approved by the National Council of State Boards of
Nursing.” These courses were related to
documentation, medical errors and disciplinary
actions against nurses.
Stay Tuned: Details about our ONA election coming soon!
Continued on next page
Continued from previous page
At the beginning of the year in 2014 Linda had seen an
on-call position available at Providence Newberg
Medical Center in the Med/Surg Department. She
decided to contact the manager of the department to
see if he would even consider rehiring her. He said he
was familiar with the events that led to her dismissal in
December 2012 and would reconsider her for rehire but
she was currently deemed ineligible for rehire. Linda
provided the manager with a copy of the letter written
by Ms. Van Zanten. He said this changes everything
and that she could apply for the position. Within a week
he contacted Linda to say that Lori would not consider
Linda for rehire.
When asked what she would like to say to her former
colleagues, this is what Linda had to share: “All I can
say is during the three years I worked at Newberg
Providence I strived to provide exceptional care to my
patients. I frequently volunteered to work extra hours
when the Med/Surg floor was in need of nurses and at
times came in on my days off bringing some patients
flowers to cheer them up. I thought my commitment to
the hospital and my patients in addition to my
relationship with my co-workers was clear. Yes I made
a mistake – one in which I needed to have
repercussions for. I never thought something like my
mistake would lead to such a humiliating experience/
outcome. After my termination I learned of other
incidences where nurses had done things more
extreme than myself yet were treated with much more
leniency. I took full ownership for my actions and was
willing to do anything to make it right: go on a work
plan, take more education, get daily reviews. I would
have been happy to do whatever it took to prove my
commitment and diligence to Providence but I was
never afforded that opportunity. I didn’t have a voice
and left feeling humiliated.
The people in Med/Surg were like family to me. I wish
you all the best and encourage you to win your election
so that each of you is afforded a voice when a mistake
such as mine is made.”
Is Checking The ER Census Board a HIPAA Violation?
Historically, nurses, supervisors and administrators have
checked the Emergency Room (ER) census board to
plan for admissions, discharges, and staff. This is
particularly true in Med/Surg and the Intensive Care
Unit (ICU). It is necessary to review an ER patient’s
complaint, vitals and labs to anticipate admissions,
especially for a potential ICU patient. Not doing so would
result in long waits for our patients and being ill prepared
to give proper care.
Nurses have been told that accessing ER records thus
was a Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
(HIPAA) violation and that we should not be doing it.
Human resources began auditing access to those
records by floor nurses. Administration has said various
things, that nurses in other facilities are in counselling
for this violation and then later that nurses have been
terminated for it. There has been only one recent
incident at a Providence hospital where an ONA
member was disciplined, not fired, for this same thing.
ONA objected and the hospital withdrew the discipline.
Basically, administration told nurses that accessing a
chart prior to the patient being assigned to the unit is a
violation. This blanket statement is a grave allegation
against nurses without proper background. Use of
protected health information is permitted for the
treatment of patients. Treatment includes: “provision,
coordination, or management of health care-related
services.” View the American Association of Critical Care
Nurses (AACN) article, Patients’ Confidentiality and other
resources on the ONA/PNMC www.OregonRN.org
webpage. Many arbitration cases overrule these types
of discipline when accessing the information was for an
appropriate purpose.
What is most troubling is how this is being rolled out.
Again, no discussion with nurses. Again, a unilateral
decision negatively affecting how we deliver patient care.
Again, no clear communication. This is an example of
why so many of us are working to form a union. We want
to be involved in decisions and to be treated fairly. In the
interim, ONA will advocate on behalf of any nurse
unfairly disciplined for appropriately accessing patient
information for the purposes of providing care.
Recent ONA Questions
Will ONA protect us from losing
spousal health insurance coverage
in 2016? The bottom line now is that
administration
April 2, 2015can take that away with
NO discussion. This is true of every
benefit. But if nurses are represented,
they would have to discuss this with us
first. ONA nurses who just bargained
at Seaside, Hood River, Portland and
Home Health did not accept any such
change. Here, if we win our election,
nurses would have a say and
administration would have the duty to
bargain in good faith with nurses over
this or any material change related to
working conditions.
bylaws that are set by nurse members
across the state. The bylaws state that
dues are calculated as: “the average
annual base wage after three (3) years
of employment from the starting wage
as a beginning staff nurse in ONArepresented facilities will be
established as of April 1 each year.
Beginning July 1, the annual dues will
be one percent (1%) of that average
base wage or the previous year’s
dues, whichever is the larger amount.”
Any increase outside of this must be
voted on at an ONA convention by
nurses. Staff at ONA do not set or
make decisions about dues increases.
Can I pay my dues in an annual
lump sum? Yes.
What other benefits does being an
ONA member entail? The primary
benefits are having experienced labor
staff help negotiate and enforce
contracts, protection against unilateral
changes at work and defense against
unfair disciplinary actions. But there
are other important aspects to ONA
membership. ONA nurses also have
access to individual consultations on
questions of scope of practice, safety
equipment, career counseling and safe
patient handling.
What do other ONA nurses pay?
Providence St. Vincent (PSTVMC) $82,
Providence Portland (PPMC) $82,
Seaside $78, Hood River $78 per
month.
What are the estimated dues for
Newberg nurses again? It may vary
depending on what nurses here elect
to set aside for our own unit.
Full time (FT): about $82/month
Part time (PT)/Per Diem: about $43/
month for nurses working under 64
hours a month.
Do I have to pay dues twice if I’m a
member at a different ONA facility?
No. Nurses who work at two ONA
facilities pick a base hospital for the
purposes of membership and only pay
dues once.
Are there other perks to ONA
membership? Yes! Check out the
ONA website for more information
www.OregonRN.org.


Are my dues tax deductible? Yes.
How are dues amounts determined?
Dues are determined by the ONA

Access to continuing education
including free or discounted
webinars and workshops.
Access to scholarships and funds
for Continuing Education (CE) and
conferences.
Free legal consulting services.
Providence Newberg Medical Center (PNMC)
Election FAQs
Who gets to vote?
Generally: all staff nurses
who perform direct patient
care at PNMC. Specifically:
we are working on a list with
the NLRB and will share it
directly. There will be no
surprise about who votes.
What’s the election
process like? It is a secret
ballot election. There will be
nurse observers for ONA
and non-supervisory
observers for management.
The election is run by the
NLRB agent. Voting nurses
sign in, receive the ballot,
vote in a booth, then turn in
their ballot.
What determines the vote
outcome? The majority of
those who vote determine
the outcome. So if 100
nurses vote and 51 vote
yes, we win. Obviously we
want every nurse to
exercise their voice and
vote yes!
ONA Meetings
Every Wednesday
11 a.m. and 7:30 p.m.
AWPPW Local 60
2414 Portland Road
Newberg, OR
Between
Sherman Williams
and Auto Zone
Oregon Nurses Association | 18765 SW Boones Ferry Road Suite 200 | Tualatin OR 97062 | 1-800-634-3552 within Oregon | www.OregonRN.org
Oregon Nurses Association
Bargaining Unit Newsletter
Newsletter
April 14, 2015
Nurses Move Towards Our ONA Election
Last Friday we filed 109 authorization cards signed by
72 percent of nurses with the National Labor Relations
Board (NLRB). This was the first step in moving us to
our union election.
The NLRB board agent contacted both administration
and ONA’s legal counsel. We are currently in the
process of trying to reach an election agreement. The
only thing settled are the times: 6:30—8:30 a.m. and
6:30-8:30 p.m. The NLRB recommended election dates
of May 6, 11 thru 15, 18, 20-22. ONA staff are available
and many nurses are in favor of the May 6 date, or at
least the following week. We want no delays.
Management has only offered two dates: May 20 and
May 21, stating that they their attorneys are unavailable.
We will keep you apprised of any developments.
Also on last Friday nurses received a letter from Lori Van
Zanten, chief executive officer (CEO) and Yvonne Kirk,
chief nursing officer (CNO), cautioning nurses against
signing authorization cards. This letter came after we
already filed. Even so, we want to clarify.
A signed authorization card does not instantly create a
union. If a nurse signed an ONA authorization card and
ONA went to administration to bargain improved working
conditions for him/her, nothing would happen.
Administration has ZERO obligation to discuss anything,
nonetheless negotiate, until the NLRB certifies ONA as
the union. That cannot happen until we win an election.
There also have been no promises about pay or staffing.
That’s not what this has been about. It is no coincidence
that ONA nurses at other Providence hospitals who have
the right to negotiate over working conditions earn more
and have a direct voice in staffing decisions. The fact
that administration raises it now demonstrates the
disconnect between nurses’ concerns and what they
think is important to us.
If there has been any doubt, our goal from the start
has not changed. Patients in our community deserve
excellent care and nurses deserve a fair workplace.
We simply want a seat at the table and to have a voice
in decisions that affect both of those crucial aspects.
Only together can we accomplish this.
Thanks to Nurses, Family and Friends Who Joined the Newberg Camellia Festival & Race
Despite the rain
clouds, several
nurses joined
friends and family
to walk and run in
our local 5 and
10k right here in
Newberg.
Thanks for
coming out and
showing your
support!
Oregon Nurses Association | 18765 SW Boones Ferry Road, Suite 200 | Tualatin, OR 97062
1-800-634-3552 within Oregon | www.OregonRN.org