Kaiser Permanente workers could potentially go on strike starting on Wednesday following the expiration of their labor contract with the healthcare company.
A coalition of eight unions that represent roughly 75,000 employees of the company said on Saturday that it has not reached an agreement with Kaiser Permanente. The situation sets up the stage for the largest healthcare strike in the history of the United States.
Potential Kaiser Permanente Workers' Strike
In a statement, the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions, which has workers at hundreds of hospitals and medical offices in various states, such as California, Colorado, Oregon, Virginia, Washington, and Washington, D.C. said that it remains far apart with the company on important issues.
However, the coalition noted that it was having "good discussions with Kaiser" as the healthcare workers are seeking across-the-board pay raises and improvements to their pension plans. The employees are also demanding protections against outsourcing.
The coalition's contract with the healthcare company officially expired after 11:59 p.m. PT on Saturday night. A few hours before the contract ran out, Kaiser Permanente said in a statement that it would continue negotiating with the coalition in "good faith" and noted that operations would continue normally until the planned strike that occurs on Wednesday, as per CNN.
The company noted that contract expirations do not necessarily mean that a strike will immediately occur. It added that it is optimistic that an agreement will be reached with the coalition to avoid an unnecessary strike. Kaiser Permanente said that it has contingency plans to ensure that members continue to receive safe, high-quality care for the duration of the potential strike.
In a statement, the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente said that negotiations are only scheduled through Monday, but added that healthcare workers are prepared to negotiate throughout the week. Additionally, frontline workers are also continuing to prepare for a potential strike on Wednesday.
Expiration of Labor Contract
In a statement, Renee Saldana of Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West (SEIU-UHW) said that healthcare workers want to be in facilities with the patients that they care about.
The dispute regarding the labor contract comes against a backdrop of reinvigorated U.S. labor action. Various unions have asserted themselves amid surging inflation and post-pandemic labor shortages. The United Auto Workers recently held walkouts at the Big Three U.S. automakers and Hollywood writers recently ended a strike that lasted for five months, according to the Washington Post.
The Communications Coordinator of UFCW Local 555, Miles Eshaia, said that they have a number of unfair labor practices that they have charged Kaiser with. She noted that these included the failure to disclose bargaining agreement information, direct dealing, and trying to dictate to the union who may serve as its representative.
The potential strike affects the Sunnyside Medical Center in Clackamas, Westside Medical Center in Hillsboro, and the Regional Lab Airport Way Center in Portland. It comes only a few weeks after the UFCW 555 decided to separate from the national coalition of Kaiser Permanente unions, said KOIN.
