Unions collectively representing more than 30,000 nurses, pharmacists, physician’s assistants, and other healthcare workers gave Kaiser Permanente, one of the country’s largest medical consortia, a 10-day notice of intent to strike on Friday.
The walkout, which would include 27,000 Kaiser workers across Southern California, would begin Monday, Nov. 15.
Members of United Steelworkers Local 7600, United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals (UNAC/UHCP), and the Oregon Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals are pushing back against proposed wage cuts for new Kaiser employees.
Kaiser has said the cuts are necessary to keep its healthcare services affordable for the broader public.
“Nurses are horrified by Kaiser's attempts to redefine what constitutes a hospital and what counts as nursing care,” the National Nurses United union statement said, specifically condemning Oakland-based Kaiser Permanente’s intent to expand at-home care to include iPads and camera remotely monitored to check on patients.
The walkout will impact 366 hospitals in Southern California as well as Kaiser medical centers in Anaheim, Antelope Valley, Baldwin Park, Downey, Fontana, Harbor City, Irvine, Los Angeles, Ontario, Panorama City, Riverside, San Diego, West L.A., and Woodland Hills.
A spokesperson for Kaiser said wages for current employees won’t be cut, but future workers will be subject to a new two-tiered pay scale system.
Critics of the proposed system say it is unfair to expect two workers to do the same job for different wage levels.
UNAC/UHCP President Denise Duncan said in a statement on Friday that unions oppose the two-tier wage system for its potential negative impacts on Kaiser’s ability to hire, as well as employee retention during a nationwide nursing shortage.
“A strike is always a last resort, but it’s clear from the employer’s proposals that this is the path they’ve chosen,” Duncan said.
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