Kaiser Permanente Strike to Expand if Agreement Not Reached

The Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions officially notified Kaiser executives on Monday that they plan to stage a second, larger workers strike in November if the two groups do not reach an agreement.

The coalition said workers are ready to strike from Nov. 1 to Nov. 8 across hundreds of Kaiser hospitals and medical facilities in California, Colorado, Washington, Oregon, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. This second strike would also include 3,000 more workers from Seattle whose contract expires on Oct. 31.

“For months, Kaiser executives failed to listen to the feedback from frontline healthcare workers about the need for executives to follow the law in negotiations and about the impacts that the Kaiser short staffing is having on patients,” said Caroline Lucas, Executive Director of the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions, in a statement.

Starting on Oct. 4, over 75,000 Kaiser workers went on strike for three days in what the coalition called the largest healthcare worker strike in U.S. history. The workers called on Kaiser to raise wages and address a staffing shortage that was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Negotiations between the unions and Kaiser will resume on Thursday and Friday.

"We have received notice from the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions for a potential second strike," a Kaiser spokesperson said in a statement emailed to The Messenger. "Kaiser Permanente remains committed to reaching an agreement that is good for our employees, our members, and our organization, and we will continue to bargain in good faith with the Coalition."

In a statement, the coalition said outsourcing has emerged as a sticking point in the talks, with executives refusing to set limits on outsourcing and subcontracting workers. The coalition argues limiting outsourcing keeps experienced workers employed and provides a strong continuity of care for patients.