The Largest Health Care Worker Strike in US History Is Underway

On Wednesday, October 4, more than 75,000 unionized Kaiser Permanente employees from across California, Colorado, Oregon, Virginia, Washington, and Washington, DC, walked off the job. The event, the largest health care worker strike in US history, started at 6 am local time and will continue through Saturday morning, October 7. The striking workers are represented by a group of unions that comprise 40% of the staff of Kaiser Permanente, which is one of the largest nonprofit health care providers in the United States.

The Who and Why

The strike includes nursing staff, dietary workers, receptionists, optometrists, and pharmacists, and it began after union contracts expired at 11:59 pm PT on September 30. “Our team is available 24/7 to continue bargaining with the coalition until we reach a fair and equitable agreement,” said a spokesperson from Kaiser Permanente in a statement to CNN, and although negotiations continued into Wednesday, a deal to avoid the strike was not reached.

Striking employees are disgruntled over staff shortages, which have led to heavy workloads and burnout. In a recent statement, Kaiser Permanente agreed to accelerate hiring, with the goal of bringing aboard 10,000 new employees for union-represented jobs by the end of 2023. The union coalition is demanding increased pay, a topic that management and the unions remain far apart on. However, the 2 sides have agreed on certain demands, including renewing protections for outsourcing and subcontracting and deciding on a 60-day notice prior to remote staff being required to work in person.

Will Patient Care Be Affected?

While the strike is temporary and doctors and most registered nurses are not taking part, some patient care may be affected in the interim. Kaiser Permanente has made preparations for the strike, but a spokesperson noted that patients should plan to reschedule nonemergency and elective services “out of an abundance of caution.”

The spokesperson also reassured patients that “our hospitals and emergency departments will remain open. Our facilities will continue to be staffed by our physicians, trained and experienced managers, and staff, and in some cases, we will augment with contingent workers.”