Key takeaways:
- More than 75,000 Kaiser Permanente workers across five states and Washington, D.C. went on strike on Wednesday.
- The workers are protesting staffing shortages that they say have reached crisis levels.
- The union is asking for improved wages, increased staffing levels, and better job security.
On Wednesday, more than 75,000 Kaiser Permanente workers across five states and Washington, D.C. went on strike, making it the largest walkout by health care workers in U.S. history. The strike, organized by the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions, began at 6 a.m. local time and involved nurses, lab technicians, pharmacists, and other workers.
The workers are protesting staffing shortages that they say have reached crisis levels, both for employees and patients. The strike was visible from California to Virginia, with picketers outside of health care facilities.
The Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions has been in negotiations with Kaiser Permanente for a new contract since September 2018. The union is asking for improved wages, increased staffing levels, and better job security. Kaiser Permanente has offered a 3% wage increase, but the union says this is not enough to address the staffing shortages.
The strike is expected to last five days, and Kaiser Permanente has said that it will remain open during the strike and that patient care will not be affected. The union has said that it is willing to return to negotiations with Kaiser Permanente, but that it will not back down from its demands.
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