Thousands of workers from Kaiser Permanente hospitals and facilities walked off the job Wednesday morning, launching the largest healthcare strike in history.
According to officials, the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions have been negotiating with healthcare systems since April but has been unsuccessful in coming to an agreement before their contract expired on September 30.
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This morning at 6 a.m. Pacific health care workers at Kaiser Permanente walked out on strike.
75,000 workers just launched the biggest strike the U.S. health care industry has ever seen. pic.twitter.com/0646ATKkY2
— More Perfect Union (@MorePerfectUS) October 4, 2023
I’m here at the Kaiser Permanente Downey Medical Center where health care workers in Downey join the other 75,000 health care workers to strike at Kaiser Permanente over unfair labor practices. It is the largest health care worker strike in U.S. history. pic.twitter.com/5vlpSJOO6E
— Christina Merino (@christinam_love) October 4, 2023
Workers alleged that the COVID-19 pandemic led to working conditions that were “deteriorating and exacerbated a staffing crisis plaguing several health care systems.” The unions represent roughly 85,000 healthcare workers, claiming that Kaiser’s bargaining failures led to unsafe levels of staffing, patient neglect and even worse, missed diagnoses.
The coalition is asking for a pay raise of nearly 25% for all of its members along with better benefits, such as medical coverage for retirees. The unions say that with better pay and work conditions, more people would be incentivized to stay at Kaiser. It would also attract newer workers — all of which would help alleviate the staffing shortage.
Kaiser has countered with raises ranging from 12.5-16% over four years while also stating that it is close to reaching its goal of hiring 10,000 more people to fill union role vacancies by the end of 2023.
The strike is expected to last for three days in most locations throughout California, Colorado, Maryland, Oregon, Virginia, Washington and Washington D.C.
“This three-day strike will be the initial demonstration of our strength to Kaiser that we will not stand for their unfair labor practices,” a statement on the Coalition Unions website reads. “If Kaiser continues to commit unfair labor practices, we are prepared to engage in another longer, stronger strike in November to protest Kaiser’s unfair labor practices when additional Coalition members in Kaiser’s newest market in Washington state can join us (their contract expires Oct. 31).”
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