This might be the largest healthcare strike in history. Thousands of Kaiser Permanente health care workers began striking today in LA and across the U.S, and as Cam Kauffman reports, picketers are protesting over fair wages and better staffing.
An estimated 75,000 Kaiser Permanente health care workers began a three-day strike today across the U.S. The strike included multiple Kaiser locations in L.A.
At Kaiser’s Sunset Boulevard location, more than 400 health care workers took to the street starting at 6 a.m. after days of contract negotiations failed to produce an agreement.
Kaiser said it reached “several agreements” over specific demands made by the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions, but striker captain Daniel Alejandro Lopez says Kaiser is not meeting them at the table.
Daniel Alejandro Lopez: “If it really mattered to the executives to bargain in good faith, this would not be happening today.”
Kaiser issued a statement that said rising inflation has led to a “massive surge’” in expenses, and has made it tough for the company to balance taking care of its employees and remaining affordable to patients.
Those striking include licensed vocational nurses, emergency department technicians, medical assistants and many more.
Licensed Vocational Nurse Jessica Cruz says she’d rather not be out on the picket line.
Jessica Cruz: “We’d rather be in with our patients, you know, helping, but patients are telling us, like, ‘Hey, we need sooner appointments’ and you know, we’re just trying to be like it’s not us, it’s Kaiser executives who are not listening.”
And, to get health care workers back inside, Ward Clerk Transcriber Ju’anna Isaiah says it all comes down to Kaiser meeting them halfway.
Ju’anna Isaiah: “We would love to resolve it, but you know, until we can get that staffing crisis taken care of, we’re going to have to do what we have to because otherwise, you know, patient care is just going to keep going down the hill.”
The strike is set to last until Friday, but could go longer if no agreement is reached.
For Annenberg Media, I’m Cam Kauffman.