75,000 Kaiser Permanente healthcare workers across California and several other states hit the picket lines Wednesday for the beginning of a three-day strike.
While most would agree it is an employee's right to fight for fair pay and safe working conditions, withholding labor from medical centers like Kaiser can have a profound impact on those in need of medical attention.
This leaves some wondering - should it be legal for healthcare workers to walk off the job?
Labor relations expert at Columbia University and lead author of the "Legal Guide to Human Resources," Jerry Cutler, told KNX In Depth it's important to first consider the impact striking has on workers.
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He said, "They're not receiving a paycheck, they can't pay their bills, they're also not eligible for unemployment benefits in most states. So, the decision to go on strike is not one that's made lightly by workers, and it's typically because the employer has taken a position in bargaining that's so intolerable that workers feel they have no choice but to exercise the economic power that they have."
Cutler argued that the Kaiser strike could affect patients, but "Doctors are not on strike at Kaiser, ER nurses are not on strike. So patients can still avail themselves of emerging care and other critical care needs."
Still, L.A.'s Morning News told the stories of individuals unable to get chemotherapy or critical medical tests done on Wednesday, so it does seem to be more than an inconvenience.
To those who argue that healthcare workers should be prevented by law from striking, Cutler says removing the 'legal right' doesn't mean there won't be strikes.
"In the US, if you go back 100 years or more before workers had the legal right to strike, there were many strikes in critical industries, affecting people's safety and well-being in manufacturing and transportation. So, removing the right to strike doesn't mean that workers will not withhold their services," Cutler said.
In Cutler's view, the best way to avoid strikes that hurt patients is to look at the underlying cause that leads workers to feel they have no choice but to strike - the employer.
Terry Kankari, Senior Media Relations Specialist for Kaiser, said in a statement, "Both Kaiser Permanente management and coalition union representatives are still at the bargaining table, having worked through the night in an effort to reach an agreement."
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