Over 75,000 employees of Kaiser Permanente commenced a historic healthcare strike on Wednesday morning, constituting the largest such strike in U.S. history. Despite ongoing negotiations showing signs of progress between the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions and the healthcare provider, workers chose to initiate a scheduled three-day labor stoppage. The strike officially commenced at 6 a.m. in Southern California, with workers on the East Coast engaging in picketing several hours prior. Nurses, technicians, and support personnel in numerous hospitals across several states are going on strike to protest what they perceive as unjust labour practices and unfavourable working conditions that are impacting the quality of patient care. “We just can’t go on with this staffing crisis,” one worker preparing to picket outside the Kaiser hospital in North Hollywood said Wednesday morning. Employees are advocating for a 6.5% salary increase, safeguards against outsourcing and subcontracting, and the implementation of a medical plan for retired staff members.
On Tuesday night, Kaiser Permanente said in a statement: “Bargaining between Kaiser Permanente and the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions is ongoing, and several agreements over specific provisions have been reached. Our team is available 24/7 to continue bargaining with the Coalition until we reach a fair and equitable agreement. We remain optimistic that there is still time to find agreement before any of the work stoppages called by the Coalition unions begin at 6 a.m. on Wednesday.” With the potential strike looming, some patients are concerned, wondering how this will impact their personal healthcare services and procedures including surgeries, doctor visits, emergencies and medication.
