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‘City
of
Roses’
Volume LII • Number 12
www.portlandobserver.com
Wednesday • June 21, 2023
Committed to Cultural Diversity
line at providence hospital (photo credit: Mark Washington)
Close to 1,800 Nurses and Clinicians Go On Strike
Strike Comes After
Nine Months of
Negotiations
Many nurses and nurse supporters cir-
cled around Providence hospital with pick-
et signs Monday which is day one of a five
day strike. About 1,800 Providence clini-
cians and nurses are on strike amid ongo-
ing negotiations with the hospital system
over a new contract.ONA said the strike
follows their failure to reach an agreement
with Providence for “fair contracts that
will recruit new staff, retain experienced
nurses and clinicians, and honor members’
commitment to patients and their commu-
nities with safe patient care standards and
a competitive wage and benefits package.”
According to ONA contract negoti-
ations with Providence have been on-
going since last fall. The Organization
responded to the statement from Provi-
dence “Providence continues to focus ex-
clusively on wages when, in fact, nurses
and clinicians are focused on improving
patient care, addressing historic unsafe
staffing levels throughout the Providence
system, and addressing serious patient
concerns,” ONA said. “Nurses and cli-
nicians are fighting for safe patient care
standards to be protected in their con-
tracts. By their own admission, Provi-
dence refuses to address short staffing
and patient safety concerns in the hospi-
tals, not to mention the excessive case-
Continued on Page 9
Bringing the Stomp N’Shake style to Oregon
There is more to
cheer then just flips!
McDaniel High school Cheer Team and Coach Sharlivia Slaughter
Sharlivia Slaughter is the student suc-
cess coordinator and the cheer coach at
McDaniel High, School of The Lions.
Slaughter has been the cheer coach since
2017. She told The Portland Observer that
there is so much more to coaching cheer.
Her girls really depend on her in other
aspects as well. She oversees both the
Junior Varsity and Varsity cheer teams.
While with basketball season cheer spots
are a little more limited for competition
purposes, during football season she not-
ed that she fills up all 25 spots. Slaughter
said “I didn’t do any cuts for cheer during
the football season.” I want to give every-
one an opportunity to cheer and if I can do
that, why not?”
The cheer team at McDaniel High
School do not do flips or tumble, instead
they have been perfecting the non-tra-
ditional style of cheer called "Stomp N'
Shake." This style of cheer is popular in the
south and originated from black colleges.
“Stomp-N-Shake” cheerleading incor-
porates traditional motions that are clean
and sharp, which showcase a team's skill,
technique, & ability. When Slaughter was
asked who idea it was to do the Stomp N’
Shake style she replied “It was the girl’s
idea!” Oregon doesn’t offer the stomp cat-
egory but there are other schools in Oregon
that practice Stomp N Shake. Slaughter
told The Portland Observer hopefully the
schools can come together and be recog-
nized. The Lions are now preparing for an
upcoming cheer competition in October in
Sherwood. This competition will be inclu-
sively for Stomp N’ Shake.