Hundreds of healthcare employees march down Vermont to call for the urgent need for improved working conditions, higher support systems and increased investment within the healthcare workforce at Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center in Hollywood on Monday, Sept. 4, 2023 in Los Angeles, CA.
Dania Maxwell | Los Angeles Times | Getty Images
Greater than 75,000 employees at the most important nonprofit health-care provider in the USA threatened Friday to strike if an agreement will not be reached to resolve a staffing crisis by the top of next week.
A union coalition warned Kaiser Permanente that its members will walk out for 3 days in October at tons of of health facilities across California, Colorado, Oregon, Washington, Virginia and Washington D.C., if a deal will not be reached to alleviate the problem.
The Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions issued the ultimatum after their final bargaining session concluded without an apparent resolution.
The unions said they are going to go on strike from Oct. 4 to six if an agreement will not be reached when their current contract expires Sept. 30.
Kaiser Permanente serves nearly 13 million patients. It operates 39 hospitals and greater than 600 medical offices across eight states and the District of Columbia.
Dave Regan, president of SEIU-United Healthcare Employees West, said that Kaiser has didn’t adequately address a staffing crisis that has led to dangerous wait times for patients.
“Kaiser executives refuse to acknowledge how much patient care has deteriorated or how much the frontline healthcare workforce and patients are suffering due to Kaiser short-staffing crisis,” Regan said in a press release
The Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions’ membership includes medical assistants, surgical and lab technicians, pharmacists and administrative staff amongst other health-care employees. Several unions voted overwhelmingly to authorize strikes at Kaiser last week.
Kaiser has called the unions’ claims misleading and urged employees to withstand a call for a strike.
“The Coalition unions are positioned to strike in October. Nonetheless, for the last 26 years of our historic labor-management partnership, now we have reached agreements with the Coalition each time, with no strikes. A strike notice doesn’t mean a strike will occur,” Kaiser said in a press release.
“Our top priority is caring for our members and patients, and now we have plans in place to make sure we will proceed to offer, high-quality care should a strike actually occur,” Kaiser said. “To be clear, we are going to proceed to bargain in good faith until we reach a good and equitable agreement that strengthens our position as a best place to work and ensures that the high-quality care our members expect from us stays reasonably priced and simple to access.”
