People hold placards, as a coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions representing 75,000 healthcare workers at Kaiser Permanente start a three day strike across the United States over a new contract, in San Diego, California, U.S. October 4, 2023.
Mike Blake | Reuters
More than 75,000 workers at the nation’s largest health-care nonprofit organization, Kaiser Permanente, initiated a three-day strike across five states after failed negotiations with labor negotiators over staffing levels.
The strike by the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions is the largest in U.S. history, affecting Kaiser hospitals and medical offices in California, Colorado, Oregon, Virginia, the District of Columbia, and Washington.
Kaiser Permanente operates 39 hospitals and over 600 medical offices, serving nearly 13 million patients across eight states and the District of Columbia.
The strike includes various healthcare positions such as vocational nurses, emergency department technicians, radiology technicians, X-ray technicians, respiratory therapists, medical assistants, pharmacists, and more.
Kaiser Permanente healthcare workers and supporters on a picket line outside Kaiser Permanente medical offices in Denver, Colorado, US, on Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2023.
Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Unions representing Kaiser workers are demanding long-term investments to address the staffing shortage, as well as improved pay and benefits.
Caroline Lucas, executive director of the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions, stated that the staffing crisis has led to unsafe working conditions and declining patient care.
Lucas told CNBC, “We continue to have front-line healthcare workers who are burnt out and stretched to the max and leaving the industry. We have folks getting injured on the job because they’re trying to do too much and see too many people and work too quickly. It’s not a sustainable situation.”
Kaiser has contingency plans in place to ensure patient care during the strike. All hospitals and emergency departments will remain open.
This strike is the latest in a series of actions taken by organized labor in response to tensions over pay, benefits, and staffing.
More than 25,000 members of the United Auto Workers are currently on strike against Ford Motor, General Motors, and Stellantis. Hollywood writers recently concluded a 150-day walkout after securing improved pay and benefits.
Hospitals have struggled to retain staff due to low pay and high stress, with many workers leaving during periods of low unemployment. The Covid-19 pandemic has further exacerbated the staffing shortage.
According to Patricia Pittman, an expert at the Milken Institute School of Public Health, healthcare workers experienced fear, uncertainty, and a lack of support, leading to their departure from the field.
Kaiser Permanente acknowledges the stress faced by healthcare workers and states its commitment to a fair and equitable agreement.
The union coalition claims that management has not adequately addressed concerns about unsafe staffing levels, leading to this three-day strike.
Kaiser reported a $2 billion profit in the second quarter, compared to a year-earlier loss of $1.2 billion. The nonprofit generated $25 billion in revenue during the same period.
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