skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Saturday, April 5, 2025

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Republicans weigh using the power of Congress to rein in Trump on tariffs; Stocks tumble again after China fires back in trade war; Mississippi urged to invest in jobs, not jails, to cut prison costs; Studies highlight gut health benefits of plant-forward diets in MI.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

The administration stands behind its tariffs, despite declines in markets. Advocates nationwide push back against federal rollbacks affecting military families, and the environment and big budget plans advance in Congress.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

The proposed dismantling of the Depart. of Education has rural schools scared, postal carriers say USPS changes will hurt rural communities most, fiber networks to improve internet may be supplanted by Musk's satellites, and it's time to PLAY BALL!

OR Hospital Workers Hold COVID-19 Vigil, Call for Action

play audio
Play

Wednesday, April 7, 2021   

PORTLAND, Ore. - Hospital workers in Portland are calling for action and holding vigils today to mark more than a year of struggle against COVID-19.

Members of the Oregon Nurses Association and SEIU Local 49 also want Legacy Health to finish negotiating contracts with their members. ONA and Local 49 are to hold a vigil this evening to honor those who lost their lives during the pandemic.

Christine Allen, a nurse at the Legacy Unity Center for Behavioral Health and vice-chair of ONA's bargaining team, said nurses feel their concerns aren't heard or suggestions aren't being incorporated in the workplace.

"There was instances around COVID-related things where that continued to happen between the nursing staff and Legacy leadership," she said. "So, it's a continuation of the ongoing problem, which is why we organized in the first place - to ensure that our voices are heard."

About 200 Oregon Nurses Association members at Legacy have been bargaining with management on an initial contract for more than a year. Allen noted that the changes due to COVID-19, such as virtual meetings rather than in-person, have prolonged the bargaining process.

Spokesperson Brian Terrett said Legacy Health has been "working collaboratively with union leadership to ensure employees are competitively and fairly compensated and have a safe work environment."

In addition to the vigil, SEIU Local 49 is holding an information picket for its 800 Legacy Emanuel Medical Center members in negotiations for their new contract for about seven months.

Sunita Patel cleans rooms on the environmental services team at Legacy Emanuel, where she's worked for 18 years. She said workers haven't received hazard pay during the pandemic, and she and her colleagues had their daily work shifts cut to seven-and-a-half hours "but we're doing the work of maybe 12 hours.

"I have 26 rooms in my unit, which is almost full every day - like there's overflow today, too," she said."We can't say to patients, 'Hey we can't clean your room.'"

A Legacy Health spokesman said the company "respects SEIU Local 49's right to engage in protected union activity."

Patel said two crucial parts of their contract are making sure health care is affordable and that workers receive pay raises.

The information picket will begin at 11 a.m. at Legacy Emanuel Medical Center. The candlelight vigil will begin at 6 p.m. at the Unity Center for Behavioral Health.

Disclosure: SEIU Local 49 contributes to our fund for reporting on Livable Wages/Working Families, Social Justice. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.


get more stories like this via email
more stories
In addition to gut health benefits, many researchers say reducing meat consumption and increasing plant-based foods can help lower greenhouse gas emissions, conserve water and reduce the environmental footprint of food production. (NDABCREATIVITY/Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

By Dawn Attride for Sentient.Broadcast version by Chrystal Blair for Michigan News Connection reporting for the Sentient-Public News Service Collabora…


Social Issues

play sound

As Mississippi grapples with one of the nation's highest incarceration rates, a new national campaign highlights the economic and social toll of …

Social Issues

play sound

Nearly 22,000 Florida college students could lose critical tuition help under a state House budget proposal. The plan would cut $3,500 annual grants …


Marches, rallies and protests will take place at state capitals, federal buildings, congressional offices and city centers. (Hands Off!)

Social Issues

play sound

Pro-worker and pro-democracy organizers and activists in Nevada are coming together to oppose some of the policies of President Donald Trump…

Environment

play sound

Minnesota bird enthusiasts should keep their binoculars handy. April is a good month to spot various species migrating back to the region. Experts …

The U.S. Senate voted 52-48 to end the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's overdraft-fee protection regulation. (Adobe Stock)

play sound

As President Donald Trump dismantles the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, advocates of the agency warn that veterans and military service …

Social Issues

play sound

Arizona lawmakers are considering a bill to prevent cryptocurrency scams and regulate what are known as "crypto kiosks." Brendon Blake, AARP …

Social Issues

play sound

UPDATE: A statement about the arrest from the University of Cincinnati has been added. (8:10 a.m. MDT, Apr. 3, 2025) A recent arrest on the …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021