Oregon Nurses Association sticks to opposing vaccination mandates, while national union backs them



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Sixty national medical groups have signed a letter calling on healthcare and long-term care employers to force the COVID-19 vaccine on their workers.

This is currently not permitted by Oregon law, due to a special exception the legislature granted in 1989 to those licensed as medical providers.

Notably, the list of signatories to this week’s letter includes the American Nurses Association, which is a national union of nurses.

But in Oregon, the local ANA affiliate, the Oregon Nurses Association, disagrees with the mandates. The ONA says it will not seek a change in Oregon law, which specifically exempts healthcare providers from employer-imposed vaccinations.

“The ONA is not currently seeking to change Oregon law banning vaccinations as a condition of employment,” ONA communications director Scott Palmer said in a July 27 statement when he was asked if the national union’s decision had changed ONA’s position.

“We urge everyone who can get vaccinated to do so, but we also believe that any mandate related to vaccinations should be negotiated between the employers and workers represented before any policy change in a facility … We are deeply concerned. that a vaccine mandate outside of contract negotiations will result in more healthcare workers leaving the bedside at a time when Oregon hospitals are already experiencing serious staffing issues. “

A national push for vaccine warrants is developing as the Delta variant of COVID-19 spreads rapidly across the United States, fueled by people who have not received a vaccine.

New York City, California and Nevada are working to get around the vaccine mandate problem by requiring a vaccine or, failing that, weekly COVID tests for public employees. Oregonian reported on July 28 that Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler had said he would pursue such an approach.



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