LOS ANGELES – A significant healthcare strike, driven by concerns over wages and staffing shortages, is approaching its conclusion without a resolution between Kaiser Permanente, a healthcare industry giant, and the unions representing the 75,000 workers who have been engaged in picketing this week.
The three-day strike, which spanned multiple states, is officially set to conclude on Saturday at 6 a.m., prompting the return of workers to their positions in Kaiser’s hospitals and clinics, which serve nearly 13 million Americans.
Negotiations concluded on Wednesday, with additional sessions scheduled for October 12th and 13th, as announced by the unions on Friday.
For workers like Josephine Rios, 55, a nurse attendant in Irvine, California, the decision to strike was difficult, primarily due to the financial strain it imposes on those living paycheck to paycheck. Rios stated, “Unfortunately, it’s a financial burden for us that live paycheck to paycheck. We can’t afford to strike for a long time, but it’s a double-edged sword. We can’t afford not to strike.”
Despite a fall heat wave, picketing persisted at the Los Angeles Medical Center in Hollywood, with temperatures reaching 96 degrees Fahrenheit (36 degrees Celsius) on Friday. Lakeshia Howze, a unit secretary for the emergency department, remarked, “The energy is high out here today. Everybody’s still onboard.”
The strike, taking place over three days in California, where most of Kaiser’s facilities are situated, as well as in Colorado, Oregon, and Washington, was a last resort following what union officials described as Kaiser executives’ disregard for the understaffing crisis exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The goal was to bring public awareness and support to these issues, according to the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions. In addition to those states, 180 workers from facilities in Virginia and Washington, D.C., also picketed, but only on Wednesday.
Caroline Lucas, the coalition’s executive director, stated, “No healthcare worker wants to go on strike. I hope that the last few days have helped escalate this issue.”
Kaiser, headquartered in Oakland, California, warned that the strike could result in appointment delays and scheduling disruptions for non-urgent procedures. Kaiser spokesperson Hilary Costa stated that the company was working to resume negotiations “as soon as possible.”
In August, unions representing Kaiser workers called for a $25 hourly minimum wage and annual wage increases of 7% for the first two years, followed by 6.25% in the subsequent two years. In response, Kaiser proposed minimum hourly wages ranging from $21 to $23, depending on the location, as well as the hiring of an additional 10,000 employees, augmenting the 51,000 workers added to the hospital system since 2022.
Union members contend that understaffing has bolstered the hospital system’s profits but has adversely affected patients. They also accuse executives of negotiating in bad faith. While the two sides have reached several tentative agreements, they have yet to find common ground on significant issues such as long-term staffing plans and wage increases. The coalition, representing approximately 85,000 of the health system’s national employees, is awaiting Kaiser’s return to negotiations.
The strike comes in a year marked by work stoppages across various industries, including transportation, entertainment, and hospitality. The healthcare sector has also seen multiple strikes this year as it grapples with burnout stemming from heavy workloads, a challenge exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Regarding the Kaiser workers’ strike, the White House indicated President Joe Biden’s support for union members who choose to strike, underscoring his commitment to labor movements. Last month, President Biden joined picketing United Auto Workers in Michigan during the 12th day of their strike against major automakers, becoming the first known sitting president in U.S. history to join an active picket line.
