One week after a three-day strike that delayed consultations and services at numerous hospitals and clinics, Kaiser Permanente and its more than 75,000 healthcare employees have struck a preliminary agreement. This is according to a statement by union leaders.
On X (previously Twitter), union officials said, "The frontline health care workers of the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions are excited to have reached a tentative agreement with Kaiser Permanente. We are thankful for the instrumental support of acting US Labor Secretary Julie Su."
The official Kaiser Permanente X account also issued a similar statement.
Notably, many healthcare workers reported feeling worn out and upset because of significant staffing shortages caused by the pandemic. This leads to the current round of labor disputes between healthcare institutions and their employees like this recent one.
The frontline healthcare workers of the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions are excited to have reached a tentative agreement with Kaiser Permanente. We are thankful for the instrumental support of Acting US Labor Secretary Julie Su.
— SEIU-UHW #United4All (@seiu_uhw) October 13, 2023
A full announcement will follow shortly. pic.twitter.com/KOAFNXhP87
Biggest US Healthcare Strike
Kaiser Permanente has its own network of hospitals and physicians. Its health insurance serves 13 million people across eight states.
A variety of low-wage employees went on strike for three days last week. Medical staff members, laboratory technicians, receptionists, and sanitation workers all joined together to create picket lines outside of dozens of Kaiser facilities, yelling and holding posters like "Kaiser: Put Patients First" and "Respect And Value Healthcare Workers," according to the New York Times.
Kaiser had to postpone non-emergency procedures, like colonoscopies and mammograms, and transfer many appointments online because of the strike. Hospitals and urgent care centers were staffed with replacement employees, but more than 50 laboratories in Southern California were shuttered. Dozens more on the West Coast were either closed or restricted in their hours.
The walkout was the largest one by healthcare workers in recent US history, according to union officials.
Su, acting secretary of labor for the Biden administration, flew to San Francisco to meet with representatives from Kaiser and the union in an effort to break the impasse.
After the strike started and discussions broke down, it took more than a week for the parties to return to the negotiating table. If a deal was not reached by early November, the labor alliance threatened another walkout that would stretch for a whole week.
Amid Staffing Shortages
Kaiser's new agreement is timely since the healthcare business has been experiencing a severe shortage of personnel due to widespread layoffs.
As a result of this shift in power dynamics, both employees and employers feel a greater sense of urgency to address the issue. Employees treating patients in the face of staffing shortages are reporting higher-than-ever levels of burnout.
Many union members are likely taking advantage of the situation as a bargaining chip to demand higher wages and better benefits.
There have been over a dozen strikes this year by healthcare workers around the country, including in New York City, California, Illinois, Michigan, and others.
