PeaceHealth is facing union pushback after the Vancouver, Wash.-based health system put unvaccinated workers on leave for noncompliance with its COVID-19 vaccine requirement policy, according to Oregon Public Broadcasting.
PeaceHealth, which runs 10 hospitals in Oregon, Washington and Alaska, announced its mandate Aug. 3. The health system's policy requires all workers be vaccinated or obtain a qualifying medical or religious exemption. Per the requirement, employees must have started a vaccination series on or before Aug. 31 and have completed the series before Oct. 15.
The health system's mandate is separate from Washington's statewide mandate, which requires that healthcare workers be fully vaccinated by Oct. 18. and Oregon's mandate, which requires that healthcare workers be fully vaccinated by Oct. 18 or six weeks after full FDA approval, whichever is later.
Those who do not comply with PeaceHealth's policy are subject to disciplinary action, starting with being removed from clinical schedules and being placed on unpaid leave, Alison Taylor, a health system spokesperson, told Becker's.
Ms. Taylor did not disclose the number of people who have been placed on unpaid leave. However, she confirmed those placed on leave are individuals without an approved exemption who had not started vaccination by Aug. 31.
"Though state implementation deadlines may slightly differ, this and other aspects of PeaceHealth's COVID-19 vaccine requirement policy align with laws in the states where we operate," she said.
Since PeaceHealth announced its mandate, union representatives have complained and expressed their concerns about the policy, according to Oregon Public Broadcasting. The Washington State Nurses Association, specifically, complained that the health system forced a policy change without proper union input, the news outlet reported Sept. 4.
Ruth Schubert, a union representative, told Becker's the union's position is that the health system's "unilateral decisions will unnecessarily exacerbate the nurse staffing shortage which is already crisis-level."
"PeaceHealth is obligated under federal labor law to bargain with WSNA over the implementation of this new policy. This is a PeaceHealth-created policy; it is not the system implementing Gov. [Jay] Inslee's mandate," she said.
Ms. Schubert alleged PeaceHealth has committed an unfair labor practice by not bargaining and said putting nurses on leaves of absence — instead of keeping them at the bedside with appropriate PPE — "is extraordinarily shortsighted."
"PeaceHealth's actions will further deplete nurses and result in fewer healthcare workers who are able to care for patients and our communities," she said.
Pamela Chandran, an attorney representing the union, said the union, overall, aims to allow workers to secure exemptions and for workers who refuse to vaccinate to return to work until the state mandates are effective, according to Oregon Public Broadcasting.
Ms. Taylor, with PeaceHealth, said the health system notified its labor partners of its mandate starting Aug. 3, and it has continued to provide updates to them as the requirement has been implemented.
She said the health system implemented its policy to address the public health emergency resulting from the rapid spread of variants and will continue to respond to the pandemic trajectory with actions to safeguard workers, patients and community members.
As of Sept. 7, less than 4 percent of PeaceHealth's 15,744 caregivers had neither been vaccinated nor submitted a qualifying exemption. Ninety-six percent of caregivers had already met the requirements of the policy as of that date.