A three-day strike is looming for Kaiser healthcare employees in California and several other states, with the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions saying it would be the largest healthcare worker strike in U.S. history.
The labor contracts expired at midnight on Saturday.
If a strike takes place, the workers who would be involved in the strike include medical assistants, X-ray technicians, respiratory therapists, food service workers, and housekeepers.
The Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions accused the hospital of offering wages that don’t keep pace with inflation, failing to maintain adequate staffing levels, and cutting performance bonuses, according to City News Service.
“Kaiser executives are refusing to listen to us and are bargaining in bad faith over the solutions we need to end the Kaiser short-staffing crisis," Jessica Cruz, a licensed vocational nurse at Kaiser Los Angeles Medical Center, said in a statement. "I see my patients' frustrations when I have to rush them and hurry on to my next patient. That's not the care I want to give. We're burning ourselves out trying to do the jobs of two or three people, and our patients suffer when they can't get the care they need due to Kaiser's short-staffing."
Kaiser said it proposed across-the-board raises, with a minimum wage starting at $21 in 2024, $22 in 2025, and $23 2026.
"We jointly agreed this morning to continue to meet through midday Tuesday if needed to reach an agreement," Kaiser said in a statement. "A strike is not inevitable and it is certainly not justified. Our goal is to reach a fair and equitable agreement that strengthens Kaiser Permanente as a best place to work and ensures that the high-quality care our members expect from us remains affordable and easy to access.”
Kaiser said in another statement that was released late Saturday that in the event a strike did take place, they have “contingency plans in place” and that “hospital and emergency departments will remain open,” according to the Washington Post.
Some non-urgent appointments and procedures may be rescheduled.
John August, former Executive Director of the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions, told KNX News’ Jon Baird said he believes there will be an impact on patient care such as prescriptions or bloodwork.
“I don’t know that it’ll be delayed exactly, but I can imagine that there will be slow downs and some interruptions of those services,” he said.
Other states where the strike would occur include Washington D.C., Oregon, Colorado, Virginia, and Washington.
Pickets in Southern California are expected to happen in Los Angeles, Riverside, Orange, and San Diego counties.
City News Service contributed to this report.
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