The next wave of labor protests is set to occur on October 4th, as 75,000 healthcare workers at Kaiser Permanente prepare to potentially walk off the job. These workers are protesting what they believe to be bad-faith bargaining by the Oakland-based healthcare provider.
The Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions, which consists of a dozen unions at Kaiser facilities in seven states, issued a 10-day strike notice on September 22nd. The coalition also received authorization from California members to proceed with the walkout, which was voted on September 14th.
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If an agreement with Kaiser Permanente cannot be reached, the strike is scheduled to begin on October 4th and end on October 6th at facilities in California, Colorado, Oregon, Washington, Virginia, and Washington D.C. The majority of the union members, around 60,000 workers, are located in California. Kaiser has a total of 23 facilities in Southern California and serves 5.2 million members in Southern California and Hawaii.
The coalition argues that Kaiser facilities are understaffed, causing an unfair burden on healthcare workers and resulting in long wait times for patients. Additionally, they claim that wages have not kept up with the rising cost of living.
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“Kaiser executives refuse to acknowledge how much patient care has deteriorated or how much the frontline healthcare workforce and patients are suffering because of the Kaiser short-staffing crisis,” stated Dave Regan, president of SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West.
In response, Kaiser released a statement on Friday expressing their commitment to negotiating in good faith. The company has previously proposed across-the-board pay increases, including a minimum starting wage of $21 per hour.
“Our philosophy is to provide pay that is up to 10% above market,” stated Kaiser. “We also always strive to make healthcare more affordable for our patients, members, and customers. Wages and benefits account for around half the cost of healthcare in America, so it is crucial for all of us to work together towards that goal.
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In the event of a strike, Kaiser emphasized that its facilities would continue to operate.
“…Throughout the 26 years of our historic labor-management partnership, we have successfully reached agreements with the Coalition, avoiding strikes,” the company stated. “A strike notice does not guarantee a strike will occur. Our primary focus is providing high-quality care for our members and patients, and we have plans in place to ensure that we can continue to do so if a strike does happen.
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Healthcare workers are demanding that Kaiser increase staffing levels and raise the minimum hourly wage floor to $25 for all workers across the system, up from the current $17.
Among the coalition’s main grievances are the reduction of performance bonuses, increased subcontracting and outsourcing, and deficiencies in workforce training and hiring at Kaiser.
Kaiser, however, denies these allegations and asserts its commitment to hiring and training. The company announced that it is close to meeting the goal it set with the coalition to add 10,000 union jobs this year, with 9,700 positions already filled.
“We are actively recruiting to fill more positions,” Kaiser stated.
Labor contracts with Kaiser are set to expire on September 30th.
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If the unions at Kaiser go on strike, it will contribute to the ongoing labor unrest in Southern California, where Hollywood unions are advocating for job protection and higher wages. This struggle is mirrored in the dockworker, hospitality, and fast-food industries, which have been protesting for years over low wages and inadequate workplace safety measures.
Hollywood executives resumed negotiations on Friday with the Writers Guild of America in an effort to find common ground after three days of talks and five months of work stoppage. However, discussions on Thursday hit a roadblock, as reported by the New York Times.
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The guild has been on strike for 143 days, fighting for better pay and working conditions as the streaming era increases the demand for continuous entertainment production. Studios claim to be offering the highest wage increases for writers in over three decades.
Labor unrest is also growing across the nation, with autoworkers expanding their strikes to 38 facilities in 20 states on Friday.
The Cornell-ILR Labor Action Tracker revealed that there were 205,000 workers on strike in July, compared to just 8,000 in the same month last year.
The New York Times contributed to this report.
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