The Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions, representing over 85,000 healthcare workers in seven states and the District of Columbia, made an announcement on Thursday. They stated that their members will be voting to authorize a strike between August 26 and September 13.
According to Dave Regan, president of the Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West (SEIU-UHW), this strike would be “the largest strike of healthcare workers in the history of this country.”
If authorized, the strike could potentially start as early as October 1.
The Kaiser coalition is currently engaged in negotiations with Kaiser Permanente, the largest single-employer negotiations in the U.S., following the ratification of a new contract between the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and UPS.
The coalition is demanding that Kaiser Permanente address concerns related to unsafe staffing levels and unfair labor practices in bargaining negotiations. However, after four months of negotiations, they have not received a counterproposal from Kaiser Permanente.
Kaiser Permanente stated that their priority is to reach an agreement that benefits both parties and allows them to provide market-competitive pay and excellent benefits to their employees. They expressed confidence in reaching an agreement before the contract expires on September 30.
A potential worker strike would have significant consequences for hospitals and patients in California, Colorado, D.C., Oregon, Hawaii, Maryland, Virginia, and Washington.
Kaiser and the coalition last negotiated a contract in 2019. Since then, healthcare workers have faced worsening conditions due to the pandemic, exacerbating staffing issues in hospitals nationwide.
In a May survey conducted by SEIU-UHW, two-thirds of healthcare workers reported witnessing delays in or denial of care due to understaffing.
Kaiser Permanente acknowledged that the pandemic and its effects have led to staffing challenges and delays in care. They have hired 6,500 new workers and are actively recruiting in order to meet their goal of 10,000 new hires, set by Kaiser Permanente and the coalition.
Kaiser Permanente, the largest nonprofit healthcare provider in the U.S., reported profits exceeding $3 billion in the first six months of 2023.
Kaiser Chairman and CEO Gregory Adams received approximately $15.6 million in compensation in 2021, while several other executives received over $1 million.
Healthcare workers within the coalition expressed their concerns about understaffing and unfair labor practices, stating that Kaiser Permanente has the financial means to address these issues but chooses not to.
The coalition is prepared to authorize a strike if Kaiser continues to bargain in bad faith and commit unfair labor practices.
Updated at 4:21 p.m.
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