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