Kaiser Permanente unionized nurses and other workers began an open-ended strike on Monday at dozens of locations in California and Hawaii, citing staffing shortages, workplace safety and wages.
In Oakland, the picketing began at 7 a.m. outside Kaiser Oakland Medical Center facilities at 3600 Broadway.
“We plan to continue our local table meetings with management. We hope they will be more productive,” a union spokesperson said Monday morning. “We look forward to our collective action today to show this employer our strength and determination to stand up for patient care.”
About 31,000 employees represented by the United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals (UNAC/UHCP) plan to take part in the work stoppage, which will include picketing at several Kaiser locations, including some in Northern California and the Bay Area.
Picket lines are also planned for Roseville Medical Center, and Santa Clara Medical Center, according to the UNAC/UHCP.
Kaiser’s statement on Sunday said that its bargaining team had resumed talks with the union but confirmed that the strike would not be called off while those negotiations continue.
Kaiser said plans were in place to maintain services and expected its facilities to largely remain open but said some appointments would need to be transitioned to remote visits. It said emergency rooms and hospitals would remain open.
“Our facilities will be staffed by physicians, experienced managers, and trained staff, with added licensed contract professionals as needed,” the company said in a statement Sunday.
“We’re onboarding nurses, clinicians, and other staff to work during the strike, the majority of whom have worked at Kaiser Permanente before. In addition, many of our employees have volunteered to be reassigned to work in strike locations.”
The UNAC/UHCP is part of the Alliance of Health Care Unions, which represents 23 unions in healthcare around the nation, according to the union.
The union maintains the conflict is about wages, workplace safety and short staffing, while Kaiser said it disagrees the strike is about anything other than wages.
…. as I have posted about Kaisers strikes several times now…. they strike every few months and never fully negotiate their contract …. now it’s falling of the public’s deaf ears – “here we go again” ….. just negotiate the contract(s) once and for all
Pay them what they are worth and give patients the care they deserve.
The problem with a union contract is once it’s signed, even the deadbeat nurses that don’t pull their weight reap the very same benefits of the new contract. Furthermore, the good nurses do not receive more compensation for busting their ass to cover for the deadbeat nurses.
Pretty much the same way, taxpayers are forced to cover the costs of deadbeats and illegals in the public sector. I’m sick and tired of people reaping benefit of my blood sweat and tears as well as I’m sick and tired of being taken advantage of by the California Government.
Vote Republican in our next election:
It’s the only hope we have at reclaiming our once great State of CA.
Make CA Red Again!!!
Thanks, Duck. I am a recently retired public employee and you do make a good point about unions. I’ve seen it first-hand.