How Providence Medical Center handled labor comms by planning for every scenario

Labor communications will test even the most experienced comms pro’s mettle under pressure. It’s a delicate balancing act between keeping your messaging straight down the middle in the company’s tone, acknowledging worker rights and keeping comms on track for non-striking employees, administrators and the public.

During a work stoppage in 2023, Providence Regional Medical Center Everett (PRMCE) worked to keep both internal and external stakeholders informed every step of the way. Beyond the messaging itself, the comms team at PRMCE moved quickly and ensured that each piece of communication they issues was both on brand and empathetic to the situation. For their skillful work, the team earned a 2024 Ragan PR Daily Nonprofit Communications Award in the Employee Communications category.

To learn more about the process behind the work, we spoke with Erika Hermanson, director of communications for Providence.

Reacting to the strike notice

In the fall of 2023, nurses at PRMCE issued a 10-day strike notice — a major sign that a work stoppage was on the way. Hermanson and her team reacted immediately to ensure all the right parties were informed. She told Ragan that her team immediately mapped out a comms plan that factored in the employees, patients and the public.

“First, we created a structured communication plan that outlined exactly who needed to be informed, what they needed to know, and how we would reach them,” she said. “We activated all our key communication channels — internal messaging platforms, emails, website updates, social media, — including direct outreach to key partners in this situation.”

Hermanson pointed to this proactive stance as a necessary guardrail against misinformation in a time when situations change quickly.

“One of our main jobs was to provide transparent communication,” she said. “We knew we needed to provide clear, factual communication to keep everyone aware of the situation and our singular focus of the continuation of patient care in our community.”

Working through the strike

Once the strike itself began, the comms team at Providence was quick to hold a press conference on the first day of the work stoppage. According to Hermanson, this was to remind both employees and the outside world that Providence’s patient care mission wasn’t stopping.

“We wanted to be clear that while we respected the nurses’ right to strike, we were also deeply committed to ensuring uninterrupted and high-quality medical care for our community,” she said. Hermanson added her team was sure to ground all messaging in the organization’s values to frame continuity. For instance, this is accomplished by reminding the audience that the organization’s ultimate goal is to provide high-level patient care. The team’s communication emphasized the rights of the labor action while also showcasing Providence’s efforts to come to a good-faith solution.

During the strike, the comms team put together a “Top Things You Need to Know” email newsletter to keep managers informed on the status of the work stoppage and more goings-on at the medical center. Additionally, the team gave frequent email updates to executives and board members.

“We made sure to use multiple formats of information sharing, not just press conferences,” Hermanson told Ragan. “We also used social media updates, website statements and direct outreach to key reporters. Our team remained available for follow-ups to ensure the right information was being shared.”

Crafting the right tone post-strike 

When an agreement was reached and nurses returned to work, the comms team still had a major role to play. In conjunction with the medical center’s leaders, the comms team produced a video featuring PRMCE’s chief nursing officer welcoming back workers. Hermanson said that the team was careful to ensure that the video’s tone was relaxed and friendly while acknowledging the shared difficulties the strike had caused.

“We didn’t want it to feel scripted or overly corporate,” she said. “It needed to be warm, human and understanding. The video recognized that it’s alright if some people are still angry about the strike.”

But the comms team didn’t stop their post-strike efforts with the video. The team recognized employees who helped support PRMCE during the strike through a campaign of hand-written thank-you notes. Hermanson said that in an age of electronic communication, the hand-written acknowledgements held more weight.

“We needed to thank those who helped us for their time,” she said.”

Hermanson said that while it’s not easy navigating a work stoppage, her team’s cohesion and preparation made getting through and past the strike a little more bearable.

“No matter their differences, everyone shares a common goal of providing great medical care,” she said.

To apply to this year’s edition of the Ragan PR Daily Nonprofit Communications Awards, do so here before the March 21 deadline.

Sean Devlin is an editor at Ragan Communications. In his spare time he enjoys Philly sports and hosting trivia.