Massive Strike: 75,000 Kaiser Workers Protest Across 5 States and DC

Thousands of Kaiser Permanente health care workers in California, Colorado, Oregon, Washington, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. have initiated a strike on Wednesday.

The Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions has approved the strike for three days in the Western states and for one day in Virginia and D.C., as reported by The Associated Press. This strike, involving approximately 75,000 workers, adds to a year marked by high-profile labor actions.

Among the health care workers participating in the strike are vocational nurses, home health aides, ultrasound sonographers, radiology technicians, X-ray, surgical, pharmacy, and emergency department personnel, according to the AP.

“They’re not listening to the front-line health care workers,” said Mikki Fletchall, a vocational nurse from California, as quoted by the AP. “We’re striking because of our patients. We don’t want to have to do it, but we will do it.”

In August, unions representing the Kaiser workers requested a wage increase to $25 per hour, with 7 percent annual increases for the first two years and 6.25 percent annual increases for the following two years, the AP reported.

Kaiser Permanente, with 39 hospitals across the country, provides health insurance for about 13 million individuals and generated $2.1 billion in net income in Q2 of this year, according to the AP. Michelle Gaskill-Hames, an executive at Kaiser, expressed that the company’s compensation, along with other aspects like retention and practices, surpasses that of other organizations.

“Our focus, in terms of the funds we receive, is to invest in value-based care,” shared Gaskill-Hames with AP.

In recent years, labor costs have become a significant burden for hospitals, stated Rick Gundling, a senior vice president of the Healthcare Financial Management Association, a nonprofit organization that collaborates with healthcare finance executives, as detailed by the AP. Gundling explained that most of the revenue for hospitals is fixed and comes from government programs like Medicare and Medicaid, resulting in revenue growth being achievable “only through increasing volumes, which is challenging even under the best circumstances.”

In a statement posted on its website, Kaiser Permanente mentioned that it is currently in negotiations with the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions.

“We are committed to reaching an agreement before the contract expires on September 30,” the statement affirmed.

Updated: 12:57 p.m.