Dentists in Multnomah County, Ore., voted to authorize a strike as negotiations with the county have stalled.
In 2022, some Multnomah County dentists were laid off while the remaining dentists saw a 20% workload increase, according to an Oct. 4 news release from Oregon AFSCME Local 88, the union representing the dentists.
The county's contract offer increases the number of patients each dentist will see each week without offering what the union terms as "a fair compensation package and additional administrative time."
The dentists are open to reaching a contract agreement with the county through mediated bargaining but are planning to strike as early as the middle of November if an agreement is not reached by Oct. 13, the release said.
The county provided the following statement to Becker's: "Multnomah County values the oral health services that Multnomah County Dentists, Dental Hygienists, Expanded Functions Dental Assistants (EFDAs) and Orthodontic Assistants (OAs) provide for people in our community, including members on the Oregon Health Plan and those who have no health insurance. …
"Our labor agreements are the result of detailed contract negotiations and bargaining by Multnomah County Labor Relations and Local 88 union members. Together, we negotiate the working conditions, rates of pay, hours of work and benefits for these dental employees and more than 3,600 other County employees. However difficult these conversations can be, they are also respectful, above board and ultimately productive. We are partners in public service and we are confident this process will get us to the agreement that best serves our community."
Multnomah County dentists provide dental care to underinsured and uninsured patients throughout the Portland area.