4 A
❘
WEDNESDAY EDITION
❘ MARCH 1, 2017
Siuslaw News
P.O. Box 10
Florence, OR 97439
NED HICKSON , EDITOR
Opinion
❘ 541-902-3520 ❘
EDITOR @ THESIUSLAWNEWS . COM
The First Amendment
C
ongress shall make no law respecting an estab-
lishment of religion or prohibiting the free exer-
cise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of
the press, or the right of the people peaceably to
assemble, and to petition the Government for a
redress of grievances.
LETTERS
R ETAIN OUR NURSES
It is no surprise that the major negotiat-
ing points between the nurses and
PeaceHealth are healthcare benefits, wage
and hour issues, recruitment, retention and
security.
Those are all key issues in attracting and
retaining highly skilled nurses at Peace
Harbor Medical Center in Florence.
After three two-day sessions of negotiat-
ing, Gary Aguia, Oregon Nurses
Association (ONA) negotiator, said,
“PeaceHealth negotiators are not budging.
They are not moving. They are being tough
negotiators. Other than a couple of insignif-
icant things about job title changes, they
haven’t really moved on anything.”
(Siuslaw News, Feb. 18)
And now, after a seventh day of negotiat-
ing, very little has changed.
I would suggest to Aguia that the
PeaceHealth negotiators aren’t being
“tough negotiators.” Negotiating is active-
ly working to find common ground and that
can’t happen by sitting and refusing to
budge.
My personal experience was sitting at the
negotiations table during my education
career, first as an administrator and later as
president of the teachers’ association.
Having “been there, done that,” I am not
surprised, but disappointed rather, at the
unwillingness of PeaceHealth to jump right
in with meaningful negotiations.
Our nurses receive up to 5 percent less in
salary than other Oregon hospitals and have
been offered a whopping 1 percent raise.
(Siuslaw News, Feb. 18)
We know that rural hospitals have more
L ETTERS TO THE
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difficulty recruiting and retaining nurses
than urban hospitals. Does PeaceHealth
think it is providing Peace Harbor Medical
Center (and Florence residents) with the
means to attract and retain highly-skilled
nurses by negotiating and maintaining infe-
rior salaries?
If PeaceHealth really cared about our
hospital care in Florence, nurses would
receive a 5 percent premium for coming
here — instead of 5 percent less in pay.
From Kevin Snyder, PeaceHealth
Assistant Vice-President of Strategic
Communications, we learn, “PeaceHealth
has, and continues to, negotiate in good
faith. We have responded to most, if not all,
proposals from the union.” (Siuslaw News,
Feb. 18)
I find that comment very insulting. Not
only to the negotiators at the table and their
union members, but to the entire Florence
community. A “response” means nothing at
all.
Marcy Marshall, Director of Strategic
Communications and Engagement for
PeaceHealth in Vancouver said, “We are
currently engaged in contract negotiations
with the Oregon Nurses Association and we
are committed to bargaining in good faith
and reaching an agreement on a contract
that supports our skilled and dedicated reg-
istered nurses.” (Siuslaw News, Feb. 18)
I say to Marshall and Snyder that the
actions of their negotiators will show
PeaceHealth’s intent much more than their
“Strategic Communications” personnel.
To ONA negotiators: Your success at the
negotiating table will make a difference in
Peace Harbor Medical Center’s ability to
attract and retain the skilled and dedicated
nurses that Marshall was talking about.
I stand solidly with our Peace Harbor
nurses in these negotiations. You are nego-
tiating not only benefits for yourselves and
future nurses, but hospital care for every
resident within the Peace Harbor Medical
Center region.
Bob Horney
Florence
H OPEFUL FOR
FIX SCHOOLS
NURSE AGREEMENT
In response to Mr. Robert Orr’s letter
(Feb. 25): Like everything else, there are
great, good, mediocre, poor and awful
teachers. The many teachers I had from
kindergarten to university all fell on the
Bell Curve.
I count a considerable number of teach-
ers among my friends. Many instruct and
vote “the way the union tells us.”
They are not leaders.
As new Secretary of Education Betsy
DeVos suggested, they need to be led or
“...told what they have to do...”
Spending $40 million on a new school
will not improve academic performance.
Schools are failing because they expect
nothing of the students — and that is what
the students deliver.
The building will be a monument to
mediocrity.
For the past half century, lockstep with
declining class sizes, school performance
scores are falling. America spends the most
per capita on schooling and has the least to
show for it.
We put men on the moon, invented super
computing, color television, the 21st centu-
ry world. Many of those responsible attend-
ed very rudimentary schools with 40-plus
students per class. They knew that obtain-
ing an education was a privilege and they
were determined to make the most of it.
Today’s education system is a bloated
bureaucracy. Teachers unions overwhelm-
ingly contribute to the Democratic party;
the same party responsible for failing inner
cities within Chicago, Baltimore, Detroit,
Washington, D.C., et al.
Throwing more money at the problem
will not solve it. It is time for a change.
When parents have a choice, the teachers
must perform.
When excellence is expected, the stu-
dents may just surprise us and deliver.
Ian Eales
Florence
I read with much interest the article about
PeaceHealth Peace Harbor Medical Center
and the concerns of the nursing staff at this
location. (Siuslaw News, Feb. 18)
I am a volunteer in the Same Day
Surgery/Short Stay area. I see how much
effort they put forth to assure our well
being and safety, while in their care.
I hope that something can be accom-
plished so that those precious members of
our community get whatever they need to
stay here in Florence. Thoughts about how
to encourage other professionals in the
medical field to relocate and settle here
should also be addressed.
I know I don’t have the answer, but am
hopeful that those who make these deci-
sions will come to an agreement. Soon.
Thanks to the entire staff at PHPHMC.
We may not know all your names, but your
dedication to our citizens is invaluable.
Sandi Hennig
Florence
N ATION OF LAWS
Two recent “Letters to the Editor” beg
questions.
First, one suggests “schools need more
money,” but fails to indicate how much
more money or for what programs. That
letter also neglected to indicate how the
amount of funds we spend on K-12 educa-
tion compares to other developed nations.
The second letter appears to suggest
long-standing laws on immigration be
ignored for compassionate reasons.
It has long been believed our democra-
cy’s strength lies in the fact ours is a nation
of laws which all must obey.
“Just sayin,’” as the expression goes.
Al Pearn
Florence
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John Bartlett
Jenna Bartlett
Ned Hickson
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M ORE MONEY WON ’ T
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