A contract for 75,000 Kaiser Permanente workers expired. Historic US health care strike could start

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A coalition of eight unions representing 75,000 employees of Kaiser Permanente said late Saturday that is has not reached an agreement with the company, setting the stage for the largest healthcare strike in US history on Wednesday.

The Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions, which has workers at hundreds of hospitals and medical offices in California, Oregon, Colorado, Virginia, Washington and Washington, D.C., said in a statement that it remains far apart with the company on important issues but still has had “good discussions with Kaiser.” The healthcare workers are seeking across-the-board pay raises and improvements to their pension plans, as well as protections against outsourcing.

The coalition’s contract with Kaiser officially expired after 11:59 pm PT on Saturday night.

In a statement a few hours before the contract ran out, Kaiser Permanente said that it will continue negotiating “in good faith,” and that operations will continue normally until the planned strike happens on Wednesday.


https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/03/health/kaiser-strike-patient-impact/index.html

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Largest healthcare strike in US history begins
by Gabrielle M. Etzel, Healthcare Reporter
October 04, 2023 08:31 AM

More than 75,000 healthcare workers began a strike Wednesday morning at 6 a.m. and will continue until Friday morning, making it the largest healthcare strike in American history.

The Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions, representing healthcare workers and support staff for one of the largest not-for-profit medical systems, announced last week that it would strike if contract negotiations failed with management.

Critical patient care staff through the Kaiser Permanente system, including EMTs, nurses, and radiological and lab technicians, will be taking a three-day walkout against unfair labor practices in California, Oregon, Washington, and Colorado.

Pharmacists and optometrists are the only healthcare workers striking in Washington, D.C., and Virginia.

Kaiser is a vertically integrated and member-driven healthcare system that coordinates daily and specialist care within the same network.

Understaffing at Kaiser has been exacerbated by the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic and the wave of early retirements and burnout among healthcare workers.

more
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/healthcare/largest-healthcare-strike-in-us-history-begins