{"id":2057153,"date":"2023-10-05T19:19:01","date_gmt":"2023-10-05T23:19:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/kaiser-permanente-workers-demand-more-staff-higher-pay-in-historic-strike\/"},"modified":"2023-10-05T19:22:05","modified_gmt":"2023-10-05T23:22:05","slug":"kaiser-permanente-workers-demand-more-staff-higher-pay-in-historic-strike","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/kaiser-permanente-workers-demand-more-staff-higher-pay-in-historic-strike\/","title":{"rendered":"Kaiser Permanente employees strike for better pay and increased staffing."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fkaiser-permanente-workers-demand-more-staff-higher-pay-in-historic-strike%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2057153&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>OAKLAND, Calif.\u2014Nation&#8217;s Largest Health Care \u200dStrike Sees 75,000 Kaiser\u200c Permanente Workers \u2062Demand \u200bChange<\/h2>\n<p>An estimated 75,000 \u200cKaiser Permanente workers \u200btook \u2064to the streets on October 4, demanding better staffing levels and\u200d higher\u200d wages. Nurses,\u200d medical technicians, and\u200c other healthcare professionals picketed at numerous Kaiser Permanente hospitals and\u2062 medical offices across seven states and the District of Columbia.<\/p>\n<h3>Coalition \u200bof Kaiser Permanente Unions Fights\u200b for Fair Labor Agreement<\/h3>\n<p>The Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions, representing workers in multiple states, began negotiations with the company in April. However, they were unable to reach a new labor agreement before the contract \u200dexpired on September 30.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<h2>Related Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/article\/over-75000-kaiser-permanente-workers-prepare-to-strike-in-largest-health-care-disruption-in-us-history-5503153?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><strong>Over 75,000 Workers Strike \u2064Against Kaiser Permanente \u2062in Largest Health Care Protest in US History<\/strong><\/a>  &#8211; 10\/3\/2023<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/article\/more-than-60000-kaiser-permanente-workers-vote-to-authorize-strikes-if-labor-deal-not-reached-5492040?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><strong>More Than 60,000 \u200dKaiser Permanente \u2063Workers Vote \u200bto \u2064Authorize Strikes If Labor Deal Not Reached<\/strong><\/a>  -\u200b 9\/15\/2023<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/blockquote>\n<div class=\"my-5\">According to a statement released by the union coalition on \u2064October 4, healthcare workers are concerned about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/labor-board-rebukes-union-for-threatening-worker\/\" title=\"Labor Board Rebukes Union for Threatening Worker\">unfair labor practices<\/a> and unsafe staffing \u200blevels that lead to\u200c long \u200dwait times, misdiagnosis, and\u200b neglect. After enduring the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and chronic understaffing, Kaiser healthcare workers are demanding safe staffing \u200dlevels \u200cfrom\u2062 management.<\/div>\n<p>The strike is expected\u2064 to last for three days.<\/p>\n<p>Caroline Lucas, executive director \u200bof the Coalition \u2064of Kaiser Permanente Unions, expressed readiness to resume negotiations with Kaiser executives.<\/p>\n<div class=\"shortcode post-related-videos\">\n<div class=\"lazyload-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"lazyload-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Ms. Lucas stated \u2064in \u200ca press release the day \u2064before the strike that frontline healthcare workers \u200dare willing to sit down \u2064with Kaiser executives to\u200b bargain in good\u200c faith. However, no agreement can be reached until Kaiser \u2062executives stop engaging in unfair labor practices.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPatients \u200dand workers need immediate action to address the\u200d Kaiser short staffing \u2064crisis and ensure patient safety,\u201d \u2063she added.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">Kaiser representatives have not yet responded to \u2062requests for comment. The company has\u2063 informed patients that hospitals and\u200b emergency departments will\u200d remain open during the strike, as stated in an <a href=\"https:\/\/healthy.kaiserpermanente.org\/northern-california\/alerts\/p2\/strike-notice-in-northern-california\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">online \u200dstatement<\/a>.<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-figure\">\n<figure style=\"width:600px\" class=\"alignnone\"><figcaption>Striking Kaiser Permanente workers hold signs as they\u2063 march in front of the Kaiser Permanente San Francisco \u200dMedical Center in San \u2063Francisco\u200b on Oct. 4, 2023. (Justin Sullivan\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>The company expressed disappointment over \u200bthe strike and acknowledged that \u200bthere may be <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/countdown-to-chaos-the-new-date-to-know-after-congress-narrowly-avoided-disaster-2\/\" title=\"Countdown to chaos averted: Congress narrowly avoids disaster, new date to know.\">longer wait times due<\/a> to \u2062high call volumes. However, Kaiser \u200cassured patients that their care remains \u200ca top \u200bpriority\u2063 and contingency plans are in place to ensure safe and high-quality care.<\/p>\n<p>While some outpatient \u200bpharmacies may have reduced hours, hospital \u2062pharmacies and crucial services will continue operating,\u200b according to Kaiser.<\/p>\n<p>At \u200dKaiser&#8217;s Oakland\u200d hospital, hundreds of union members\u2062 gathered at 5 a.m.\u2064 on October 4. \u2063Mirna Lopez, a health educator, highlighted the struggle\u200b of affording \u200cthe high cost of living in the \u200bBay Area with inadequate wages.<\/p>\n<p>Ms. Lopez stated, &#8220;People are leaving\u2063 because they cannot afford to stay.&#8221; She also emphasized \u200bthe impact of staffing shortages on patient care, with long wait\u2062 times for appointments and screenings.<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-figure\">\n<figure style=\"width:600px\" class=\"alignnone\"><figcaption>Kaiser \u200cPermanente employees walk a picket line outside\u2062 the nonprofit health care coalition\u2019s \u200bhospital in Oakland, Calif., on Oct. 4, 2023. (Jill McLaughlin\/The Epoch Times)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>Guido Gerlitz, a \u200brespiratory therapist at \u200cKaiser&#8217;s Oakland \u200chospital, called for an increase in wages and \u200cthe &#8220;differential&#8221; pay rate for night shifts. He stressed the need for\u200b recognition and appreciation for the frontline\u2063 workers who\u2064 have made a difference during\u200d the COVID-19 pandemic.<\/p>\n<p>Andre, a participant in the Oakland hospital \u200ddemonstration, expressed solidarity among the workers and\u2063 their desire for fair\u200b wages and quality patient care.<\/p>\n<p>In Los Angeles, nurse Jessica Cruz highlighted the burnout experienced by\u2063 healthcare workers\u200c and the refusal of Kaiser executives to address the staffing crisis.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">According to the union coalition, if Kaiser&#8217;s &#8220;unfair\u200d labor practices&#8221; persist, workers are prepared to\u200b engage in a longer strike \u2063in November.<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-figure\">\n<figure style=\"width:600px\" class=\"alignnone\"><figcaption>Kaiser Permanente employees walk a picket\u2064 line outside\u200d the nonprofit health care coalition\u2019s hospital in Oakland, Calif., on Oct. 4, 2023. (Jill McLaughlin\/The Epoch Times)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>Kaiser Permanente, a membership-based managed-care consortium, has been \u2062providing healthcare for over 75 \u200cyears. With a\u2062 presence in \u200bmultiple states, the company employs over 305,000 individuals and serves 12.6 million members.<\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> How \u2062has Kaiser Permanente responded to the strike by 75,000 workers\u200d and what measures\u200c have they put in place to ensure patient care is not compromised<\/h2>\n<p><span>  Edical technicians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals marched together, holding signs and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/kaiser-permanente-workers-demand-more-staff-higher-pay-in-historic-strike\/\" title=\"Kaiser Permanente employees strike for better pay and increased staffing.\">chanting slogans demanding fair labor practices<\/a> and safe staffing levels. Similar scenes were witnessed at other Kaiser Permanente hospitals and medical offices across the \u2062country.<\/p>\n<p>The Coalition\u2062 of Kaiser Permanente Unions, \u200crepresenting workers in\u200d multiple states, engaged in negotiations \u200bwith the company starting \u200bin\u2062 April.\u2063 However,\u2064 a \u200dnew labor agreement could not be reached before the contract \u2063expired on September 30. Concerned about unfair \u200clabor practices and unsafe staffing levels that \u200clead to\u2062 long \u2063wait \u2064times,\u200b misdiagnosis, and \u200cneglect, healthcare workers\u2064 decided\u200b to take this unprecedented step of going on strike. The \u200cCOVID-19\u2062 pandemic and chronic understaffing \u200chave added to their frustrations, and they are now demanding safe staffing levels\u200b from \u200dKaiser management.<\/p>\n<p>The strike, which commenced \u200con October 4, is anticipated to\u200b last for\u200d three\u200d days. Caroline Lucas, the executive director of the Coalition of Kaiser \u200dPermanente Unions, has expressed the willingness of frontline healthcare workers \u2064to resume negotiations with Kaiser\u200b executives. However, she emphasized that agreement can only be reached if\u2062 unfair labor practices cease.<\/p>\n<p>Kaiser representatives have not \u200byet commented on the\u200b strike. The company has \u2064informed\u2064 patients that hospitals and emergency departments will remain\u2064 open during this period. Patients&#8217; care remains a\u200c top priority for \u2062Kaiser, and\u2062 they\u2063 have ensured that contingency plans are\u2064 in place to\u2063 maintain safe and\u2062 high-quality care.<\/p>\n<p>While outpatient pharmacies may have reduced hours, hospital\u2062 pharmacies and crucial services will continue operating. The company acknowledges that\u2064 there may be longer wait times due to high \u200bcall volumes but assures patients that their\u2062 care will not be compromised.<\/p>\n<p>The strike \u2063by 75,000 Kaiser Permanente workers is\u2063 an unprecedented display of unity\u200d and determination by healthcare professionals \u200bacross the country. Their demands for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/summer-of-strikes-los-angeles-city-workers-join-hollywood-and-hotel-staff-in-stoppages\/\" title=\"LA city workers join Hollywood and hotel staff in summer strikes.\">fair labor \u200cpractices<\/a> and\u2063 safe staffing levels highlight\u200d the\u200b crucial role \u2062that these \u200cworkers play in ensuring the well-being of patients. It \u200dis \u200bnow up\u200b to Kaiser Permanente \u2062to\u2063 respond to these \u2063concerns and work towards a\u200b mutually beneficial resolution.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>An estimated 75,000 Kaiser Permanente workers went on strike on Oct. 4, protesting staffing shortages and wages. Nurses, technicians, and others picketed at hundreds of Kaiser Permanente facilities across Washington, D.C., Virginia, Colorado, California, Oregon, and Washington. It is the nation&#8217;s largest health care strike.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":242,"featured_media":2057154,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[543],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2057153","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-epoch-times"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2057153","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/242"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2057153"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2057153\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2057154"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2057153"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2057153"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2057153"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}