Around 31,000 Kaiser Permanente nurses and other healthcare workers went on strike across California, Hawaii and Oregon on Tuesday, demanding higher pay and better staffing.
In response, Kaiser is calling the strike unnecessary and disruptive, saying union demands are excessive.
The big picture: The five-day strike covers 500 medical centers in the three states and is the largest in the history of the United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals (UNAC/UHCP).
- The Associated Press reported that the strike could grow to 46,000 people in total.
- Workers on strike include nurse anesthetists, certified nurse midwives, acupuncturists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, physical therapists and physician assistants, among others.
Zoom in: In the Northern California region, which includes Fresno, the union represents around 2,800 healthcare workers.
- Kaiser’s pharmacy is not impacted by the strike and remains open.
- While Kaiser’s medical centers and medical offices remain open as well, around 3% of all appointments, surgeries and procedures are being rescheduled.
What they want: The healthcare workers are asking for a 25% increase in pay over four years.
- They say the demand is to make up for wages that are at least 7% behind their peers.
The other side: Kaiser is offering a 21.5% increase over four years, along with another 0.5% wage increase at each local bargaining table and annual salary-step increases.
- Some markets also have additional market wage adjustments, which add as much as 3% to base salaries.
- Kaiser said the difference from a 21.5% increase to a 25% increase would total around $300 million annually in salary alone.
What they’re saying: UNAC/UHCP said it does not take the decision to strike lightly as a strike is always a last resort option.
- The union said it has met with Kaiser in good faith and agreed to mediation in the hope of achieving a breakthrough.
- “Despite these efforts, Kaiser has not agreed to a contract that delivers on the core priorities of the frontline health care professionals who make Kaiser work every day,” UNAC/UHCP said in a statement.
- Lionel Sims, the Senior Vice President of Human Resources for Kaiser Permanente Northern California, said the healthcare provider recognizes its employees’ hard work, calling the offer strong.
- “To be able to afford the higher wages in our offer, we’re reducing internal costs and optimizing operations. But the additional wage costs of the unions’ demands would mean more rate increases for Kaiser Permanente members and customers will be unavoidable,” Sims said. “At a time when the cost of health care continues to go up steeply, and millions of Americans are having to make the difficult choice to go without coverage, it’s critical that we keep quality, accessible health care coverage affordable – while attracting and retaining top talent and keeping Kaiser Permanente a great place to work and receive care. Our offer does all this.”
