75,000 Kaiser Permanente workers walk off the job. It's the largest health care worker strike in US

[BumRushDaShow]

Last edited Wed Oct 4, 2023, 09:21 AM - Edit history (1)

Source: CNN Business

Updated 9:04 AM EDT, Wed October 4, 2023


CNN — On Wednesday, more than 75,000 unionized employees of Kaiser Permanente, one of the nation’s largest not-for-profit health providers, walked off the job, marking the largest health care worker strike in US history.

The striking employees, who work across California, Colorado, Washington, Virginia, Oregon and Washington, DC, are represented by a coalition of eight unions that comprise 40% of Kaiser Permanente’s total staff. The vast majority of the striking workers are in West Coast states. The strike began at 6 am local time, and will run through Saturday morning.

The unprecedented strike comes at a time of heightened labor activity across the United States, with tens of thousands of workers across multiple industries taking to the picket lines for better pay and benefits. In the wake of pandemic, however, health care workers in particular have been fighting for safer and more secure work environments. They are demanding improved staffing levels, arguing that current staff shortages are compromising patient care and taking many workers to a breaking point.

Who is on strike?

Employees on the picket lines include nursing staff, dietary workers, receptionists, optometrists, and pharmacists. The strike effort comes after the workers’ union contracts expired at 11:59 pm PT on September 30. Negotiations between the union and Kaiser Permanente continued into Wednesday, according to James Santos, field coordinator for the coalition of Kaiser unions in Virginia, but he said no deal to avert the strike had yet been reached.

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/04/business/thousands-of-kaiser-permanente-workers-go-on-strike/index.html

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Full headline: 75,000 Kaiser Permanente workers walk off the job. It’s the largest health care worker strike in US history

Article updated.

Original article/headline -

Kaiser Permanente workers start to walk off the job. It’s set to become the largest health care worker strike in US history

Updated 7:56 AM EDT, Wed October 4, 2023


CNN — On Wednesday morning, unionized employees of Kaiser Permanente, one of the nation’s largest not-for-profit health providers, have begun to walk off the job. By 9 am ET, more than 75,000 Kaiser workers plan to join picket lines, marking the largest health care strike in US history.

The striking employees are represented by a coalition of eight unions that comprise 40% of Kaiser Permanente’s total staff. The unions ordered members off the job at 6 am local time, and Kaiser workers in Virginia and Washington, DC, started to walk out early Wednesday.

The vast majority of the striking workers are in the western part of the United States, including California, Colorado, Washington and Oregon.

The unprecedented strike comes at a time of heightened labor activity across the United States, with tens of thousands of workers across multiple industries taking to the picket lines for better pay and benefits. In the wake of pandemic, however, health care workers in particular have been fighting for safer and more secure work environments.

[justaprogressive]

1. Hurrah!!!!

Kaiser P. have helped bring about the destruction of our health care system.

Terrible management, terrible staffing, I hope this evil monopoly will be broken up,
sooner rather than later.

[NBachers]

2. Kaiser has saved my life and never failed to give me kind, compassionate, and efficient care.

I support the striking workers and hope they can come back stronger and more secure. But I've never experienced anything "evil" at the hands of Kaiser. I'm filled with gratitude for the care they have shown me.

[chowder66]

11. +1

[Trailrider1951]

14. Same here. Kaiser is my health insurer

But I will NEVER cross a picket line. Solidarity!

[CrispyQ]

3. Are they any more evil than United or Aetna or BCBS or whoever else are big players?

I've had coverage with all of the ones mentioned above & am on Kaiser for the first time. I do live in a Kaiser rich environment, but I've been much happier with their services than any of the others, by far!

IMO, they are all bad players but it is our everything-for-profit mentality that is the real problem. No services can be provided that don't make a profit. Our people are consumers first & citizens second. We need to change that.

[GregariousGroundhog]

4. Two comments

First - Kaiser Permanante is a not-for-profit company. So there are no shareholders trying to squeeze every dime out of that healthsystem.

Second - Kaiser has a 3.9/5.0 rating on Glassdoor, and 71% of people would recommend the company to a friend.

From the sounds of it, the union wants an across the board 12.25% raise over four years (one 6.5% raise and one 5.75% raise) whereas Kaiser wants to give four raises of up to 4% each depending on the market the staff are working in. I don't feel either side is unreasonable in their request.

[CrispyQ]

6. I didn't know that about Kaiser. Thanks.

Before the gig economy, most of us went with the insurance the company we work for offered. The ACA was in place when I went freelance & Kaiser had just opened a big facility down the road a ways & that was why I chose them & I've been really happy with them.

[Unwind Your Mind]

5. I'm grateful for Kaiser

We have had several cancer cases in my close family over the last 7 years or so

The one who wasn’t with Kaiser had to wait weeks along every step of the process and surprise it was worse when they finally got her to surgery.

Two with Kaiser, tests happen the same day, surgery happened weeks faster. Everyone we encounter is kind and helpful.

Your post is nonsense, you should self delete

[ZonkerHarris]

7. Kaiser has saved my life and has given me the best health care in my life.

Your post is gibberish and nonsense

[msfiddlestix]

10. My experience with Kaiser is the full span of the spectrum: the very BEST and the WORST care

I am with Kaiser today, have been off and on for nearly 20 years.

This phase of my life I've been with KP for 7 years now. I have no intentions of changing, though to be honest I have thought about it a couple of times. Thinking it through however, I've declined to change plans.

Ever since Covid, the number of staff seems to have greatly declined. Physicians retired, resign or just plain move on. I had a great Primary Physician until last year at which point he has "moved on" , and though I always held him with high esteem, there was a change in his general state of mind and attitude addressing a few self diagnosed issues which I had presented to him to which he seemed offended that I didn't defer to his knowledge and medical education. I understand that, but I felt it was a change in terms of his tolerance and willingness to be open to a different treatment other than prescribing more medications.

Since he left KP last year, I've been assigned to a total of 3 physicians, the first one was transferred to a different location, her replacement was here one minute and gone the next. Just found out she is on medical leave cancer. a HIPPA violation occurred which shocked me committed by new physician, which I really like and has a great sense of humor. I made mental note the unsolicited information but at this point habe no intentions of holding it against him. I believe I understand why he did was for my benefit.

(The Best and the Worst occurred in 1999 in the same hospital which is in a different location.)

[ZonkerHarris]

12. Many Drs and Nurses have retired and left the industry, not just Kaiser. It's a post Covid thing

staffing is a challenge everywhere in medicine now, even veterinary medicine.

[msfiddlestix]

15. Absolutely my feeling, unfortunately we seem to be living through a sort of forever Covid time.

I wish could honstly say in reference to post shutdown, that is actually post covid, but it isn't yet.

I can imagine how incredibly challenging it must be for health providers (drs. and nurses) to contuine jeopardizing their own health and their own families health be constantly exposed to covid all day every day.

They are actually heroes for staying on in face of this lingering threat to their own health.

But they are human, they aren't robots yet. A bit of support on strike is warranted in my view.

I was supposed to be heading over this morning for my annual booster jab. But I'm choosing to honor the striking nurses.

and pray for everyone's sake, the strike is quickly resolved.

[AncientOfDays]

8. I'm with Kaiser

Been with them off and on for decades.
- they took care of my firstborn, 10 days Neo-natal intensive care - no hit to my pocketbook
- they took care of my shattered heel bone (and still do)
- I was feeling some strange sensations in my chest - went to the clinic, they immediately sent me to hospital for Open Heart surgery. - again, no hit to my pocketbook
- and the lists goes on, multiple surgeries, all vaccinations, pharmacy, and more.

[Elessar Zappa]

17. Doesn't matter how good their care is.

Their workers deserve better pay and working conditions.

[Unwind Your Mind]

19. I don't think anyone here disagrees with that

And I would add that I have been with Kaiser for over a decade and the employees universally seem to be happy in their jobs. I like doing business with a company where that happens.

I’m all for them being paid well too

[iluvtennis]

9. kNR. n/t

[C Moon]

13. There's a large protest gathering at a park near my home (across from a Los Angeles Kaiser).

[BadGimp]

16. I had a Kaiser Eye Doc appointment yesterday on everyones lips. But the servce was as good as always

EOM

[Elessar Zappa]

18. Staffing issues are present all across the healthcare system.

We need to let immigrate millions more people who could work as nursing aides, nurses and doctors. I support this strike.

[Kablooie]

20. My wife had a very rare cancer that Kaiser was not prepared to treat.

They sent us to a special cancer center that was not part of their system.
My wife had a $200,000 operation and stayed there for a week.

It cost us a one time fee of $45, plus parking.

Her situation has been stable for the past 6 years, knock on wood.

We’ve been happy with them.
I hope they work out an agreement soon.