46,000 healthcare workers across the West Coast strike over wages, low staffing
One of the largest healthcare strikes in history is happening now in California, Oregon and Hawaii as 46,000 workers participated in a walkout on Tuesday, all of whom are employed by Kaiser Permanente.
Those participating are nurses, pharmacists, advanced medical professionals, midwives, physical therapists and dieticians, along with others. The demonstration, planned for five days, was organized by the United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals (UNAC/UHCP), issuing a range of grievances that include everything from stagnant wages, to low staffing and poor patient care.
Notably the combined union has long listed nurse-to-patient ratios in California as a sticking point on its website. Over two-thirds of those striking (31,000) are based in the state, representing five Kaiser Permanente hospitals.
In a press release, the group said clinicians aren’t striking “because they want to, but because they have to.”
“For months, UNAC/UHCP has bargained in good faith to address unsafe staffing, stagnant wages and deteriorating patient care conditions,” the union wrote.
“Kaiser’s public messaging highlights a ‘21.5 percent wage increase over four years,’ but what it doesn’t mention is years of wage freezes during record inflation, cuts for new union members and the real daily impact these conditions have on patient care,” the group added.
Negotiations are ongoing
Kaiser Permanente, a nonprofit health system, issued its own statement, calling the strike unnecessarily disruptive and claiming it presented a “strong, comprehensive offer” to the union as part of continuing negotiations.
“We’re onboarding up to 7,600 nurses, clinicians, and other staff to work during the strike, the majority of whom have worked at Kaiser Permanente before,” the health system wrote. “In addition, more than 1,000 of our employees have volunteered to be reassigned to work in strike locations.”
The strike is scheduled to end on Sunday morning at 7 a.m. local time. The union and Kaiser Permanente are expected to resume negotiations then.
This is a developing story.
Chad is an award-winning writer and editor with over 15 years of experience working in media. He has a decade-long professional background in healthcare, working as a writer and in public relations.