If contract negotiations with their employer, Kaiser Permanente, go out beyond the weekend, tens of thousands of unionized healthcare employees are planning to quit their jobs starting on Wednesday.
If a labor agreement is not struck, more than 75,000 healthcare workers who are employed by hundreds of Kaiser Permanente institutions intend to strike from October 4 to October 7.
The greatest healthcare strike in US history might be brought on by a labor agreement that is slated to expire on Saturday at 11:59 p.m. PT for thousands of unionized health care employees spread across five states and Washington, DC.
A Statement Move?
The Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions, which has workers at hundreds of hospitals and medical offices in California, Oregon, Colorado, Virginia, Washington, and Washington, D.C., said in a statement that it remains far apart from the company on important issues but still has had “good discussions with Kaiser.”
The healthcare workers are seeking across-the-board pay raises and improvements to their pension plans, as well as protections against outsourcing.
Kaiser Permanente said in a statement just before the contract expired that it would continue bargaining “in good faith” and that business would carry on as usual until the planned walkout on Wednesday.
“Contract expirations do not mean a strike will happen. We remain optimistic that we will reach an agreement and avoid an unnecessary strike,” the company said. “We have contingency plans in place to ensure members continue to receive safe, high-quality care for the duration of the strike.”
Kaiser Permanente said in a statement just before the contract expired that it would continue bargaining “in good faith” and that business would carry on as usual until the planned walkout on Wednesday.
Kaiser Permanente
One of the biggest non-profit healthcare organizations in the country is Kaiser Permanente. In exchange for a membership fee, patients can use Kaiser Permanente’s medical services. According to its website, Kaiser Permanente has 12.7 million members and runs 622 medical offices in addition to 39 facilities.
However, not all Kaiser Permanente employees will be absent from work the next week.
The Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Professionals West union (SEIU-UHW), which covers a variety of hospital professionals, including nursing staff, EMTs, respiratory care practitioners, and many other individuals who assist hospital operations, is where the majority of the unionized staff belong.
A coalition of eight unions, including SEIU-UHW, intends to strike. The coalition is made up of roughly.