Powerful Kaiser Permanente Union Workers Prepare to Strike Against Prominent Health Provider

In a potentially groundbreaking move, more than 75,000 workers at the largest nonprofit private health-care provider in the United States are on the brink of a strike. Negotiations between the workers and Kaiser Permanente failed to reach an agreement over the weekend.

The workers’ contract with Kaiser Permanente expired on Saturday, leaving unresolved disputes over staffing levels, which the unions have made a priority in their demands, along with improved pay and benefits.

In response, the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions accused Kaiser of negotiating in bad faith and committing unfair labor practices this week.

If Kaiser executives do not take immediate action to address the staffing crisis, the workers plan to strike on Wednesday morning. The coalition, in a statement to CNBC, emphasized that the strike will affect numerous Kaiser facilities across California, Colorado, Oregon, Washington, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.

Kaiser Permanente, renowned for serving nearly 13 million patients, operates 39 hospitals and over 600 medical offices in eight states and D.C.

The Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions comprises a diverse membership, including medical assistants, surgical and lab technicians, pharmacists, and administrative staff, among other essential health-care workers.

Despite ongoing negotiations, a Kaiser spokesperson expressed hope for reaching an agreement and avoiding a strike.

Kaiser has also assured that it has contingency plans in place to ensure uninterrupted care for patients during the potential strike.

The union attributes the issue of short staffing, a persistent problem in the health-care industry, to unsafe wait times for patients and declining quality of care at Kaiser facilities.

Dave Regan, president of SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West, has criticized Kaiser’s refusal to acknowledge the scale of patient care deterioration resulting from the staffing crisis.

In the second quarter of this year, Kaiser reported a remarkable profit of $2 billion, compared to a loss of $1.2 billion during the same period in 2022. The nonprofit generated $25 billion in revenue during Q2.