During her medical appointment on Thursday, Oct. 5, Ingrid Lopez noticed the absence of nurses and closed labs at a Kaiser Permanente facility in Valencia. Despite the lack of picket lines at the medical office, Lopez stood in support of the three-day strike initiated by an estimated 75,000 Kaiser workers on Wednesday.
As a 35-year-old resident of Santa Clarita, Lopez believes that these workers deserve fair compensation for their efforts. However, on Thursday, Kaiser and the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions, the organization representing the workers, still hadn’t come to an agreement. The main points of contention are wages and hiring.
Miguel Silva, another Kaiser member, expressed support for the strike but with the caveat that increased staffing is secured in a new labor contract. Silva and his wife have experienced escalating delays in getting medical appointments over the past two years, often necessitating trips to the emergency room.
According to Silva, it typically takes three to four weeks to see a doctor, which is undoubtedly frustrating. Although Kaiser claims to have hired 10,000 new employees by the end of the month, union officials question whether these hires are filling existing vacancies or catering to the expansion of the healthcare company.
Countless Kaiser workers, like Silva, share their frustration about being underpaid, understaffed, and overworked. They often find themselves doing the job of two or even three people, leading to long wait times and, in some cases, incorrect diagnoses or neglect.
These grievances prompted the employees, including the 23,000 in Southern California, to carry out a three-day walkout, making it the largest healthcare strike in U.S. history. Hospitals and facilities operated by Kaiser in California, Colorado, Oregon, and southwest Washington state have been affected, while one-day strikes took place in Virginia and Washington, D.C.
In Southern California, thousands of workers are picketing at various Kaiser facilities, including those in Los Angeles, Anaheim, Baldwin Park, Moreno Valley, and South Bay.
The Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions represents the nurses, ER techs, respiratory therapists, dietary workers, home health aides, and others. All of their labor contracts expired on Sept. 30.
Kaiser, which provides healthcare services to 9.4 million members in California, intends to keep all hospitals and emergency departments operational, although non-emergency and elective services may need to be rescheduled in certain locations. The company operates over three dozen hospitals and more than 500 medical offices throughout the state.
The unions are demanding a 25% raise over four years and a minimum wage of $25 per hour for workers nationwide.
In a statement released on Wednesday, Kaiser mentioned that the two sides had reached several tentative agreements during negotiations. The company’s latest offers include wage increases, revised bonus structures, minimum wage standards, improved benefits, and renewed educational programs.
However, the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions believes that these offers fall short of their expectations. They are particularly concerned about safe staffing, outsourcing protections, and fair wages that can reduce employee turnover.
While the coalition is ready to meet at any time, no additional bargaining sessions have been scheduled. The strike will officially conclude at 6 a.m. on Saturday.
Miriam De La Paz, a unit secretary at Kaiser Permanente Downey Medical Center, provided an example of how inadequate staffing has impacted healthcare operations. According to De La Paz, the shortage of caregivers is affecting the speed and quality of care, resulting in patients waiting for months to secure appointments. This scenario is especially worrisome for patients requiring urgent attention due to conditions like cancer.
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