More Than 75,000 Kaiser Healthcare Workers Strike
Kaiser Permanente workers across eight states chose to go on a 3-day labor strike Wednesday morning.
Representing more than 75,000 employees, the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions (CKPU) gave notice of the strike on Sept. 22, accusing the California-based medical group of unfair labor practices and bad-faith bargaining.
“Frontline healthcare workers are awaiting a meaningful response from Kaiser executives regarding some of our key priorities including safe staffing, outsourcing protections for incumbent healthcare workers, and fair wages to reduce turnover,” CKPU spokesperson Caroline Lucas said in a statement. “Healthcare workers within the coalition remain ready to meet at any time. Currently, the strike continues, and there are no sessions scheduled at this hour.”
The previous contract between the workers and Kaiser Permanente expired Oct. 1, with Kaiser presenting a new proposal that it claimed addressed the union’s top priorities.
“Since national bargaining began in April 2023, we have focused on achieving a new contract that continues to provide you with market-leading wages, excellent benefits, generous retirement income plans, and valuable professional development opportunities,” Kaiser Permanente said in an Oct. 1 update. “We are confident that we will reach an agreement that strengthens our position as a best place to work while ensuring that our high-quality care remains affordable and easy to access.”
Kaiser’s proposal included wage increases between 3% and 4% over the following three years. For Southern California hospitals, Kaiser proposed minimum wages of $23 per hour in 2024, $24 in 2025, and $25 in 2026.
In the proposal, Kaiser added that it “Provides wages that are higher than the local market to attract and retain the best employees.”
The coalition called the proposed minimum wage “offensive,” saying it did not keep up with living costs and was below the up to 6.5% increase that was asked for.
The union also claimed Kaiser refused to address staffing issues.
“Kaiser executives are refusing to listen to us and are bargaining in bad faith over the solutions we need to end the Kaiser short-staffing crisis,” Jessica Cruz, a licensed vocational nurse (LVN) at Kaiser Los Angeles Medical Center said in a statement by the CKPU. “I see my patients’ frustrations when I have to rush them and hurry on to my next patient. That’s not the care I want to give. We’re burning ourselves out trying to do the jobs of two or three people, and our patients suffer when they can’t get the care they need due to Kaiser’s short-staffing.”
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