Support OFNHP Members As They Prepare To Strike

Disclaimer: Should a strike not occur, excess funds will be reserved for future member hardship needs.

Kaiser healthcare workers, represented by the Oregon Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals (OFNHP, AFT Local 5017), are standing together for safe staffing, fair wages, and a contract that puts patients and healthcare workers before profits. As we fight for fair pay and safe staffing, we may be forced to take the difficult step of going on strike. We are negotiating with Kaiser as a part of the 60,000 member Alliance of Healthcare Unions, and despite months of hard-fought negotiations, Kaiser’s corporate executives are still unwilling to agree to common sense proposals that would stabilize our care system.

The most effective tactic workers have to push their bosses to make ethical decisions is to withhold our labor: to strike. If management continues to refuse to make the changes our communities need then we may be forced to walk out on strike in what would be one of the largest labor actions of the year.

Striking means giving up paychecks, and for many of our members, that sacrifice comes at great personal cost. Management relies on the fear that so many of us have from losing a paycheck, something that they rarely worry about because of their inflated corporate salaries and generous bonuses. But since working people often have to make different choices we need to make sure that as we consider a strike we have the resources available to support those who might have extenuating needs during a work stoppage. To make sure no one is left behind, the OFNHP Hardship Fund supports striking workers who face extreme financial need during a strike.

This fund will be administered directly by a committee made up of union members, with a transparent process that ensures funds go only to those most in need. Every dollar raised will help our coworkers keep food on the table, pay rent, deal with emergencies, and care for their families while they stand on the picket line for all of us.

By contributing, you are not only helping workers weather hardship—you are strengthening our collective fight for quality patient care and dignity on the job.

Please donate what you can and share this page widely. When healthcare workers go on strike, they are doing it to win a better future for our entire care system. This is for healthcare professionals, our patients, and our entire community’s health, so let’s come together to make sure that a strike like this is effective at winning the reforms we desperately need. Together, we can make sure everyone has the support they need, both in the hospital and on the picket line.

Solidarity is our strength.

While we are grateful for community support and that of our brothers and sisters in labor, we will not accept any financial support from employers, employer-side labor relations experts, advisers, or consultants, nor will we accept any contributions from anyone who is an agent of an employer or who is acting in the interest of an employer. Contributions from such individuals should not be made through this platform and will not be accepted if they are. For any questions concerning the source of contributions, please contact the sponsor of this page.

Donations to the Hardship Fund are not tax deductible.