Record-breaking Healthcare Strike Culminates on Final Day
The historic US health care strike concludes after three days, highlighting the ongoing wage dispute between unions and management Patients have already begun experiencing the impact of this monumental labor action
The largest healthcare strike in US history, involving over 75,000 healthcare workers across four states, has entered its third and final day. The temporary work stoppage is scheduled to conclude on Saturday morning at 6 am Pacific Time.
Unions and management disagree on wages
: Workers from multiple states represented by a coalition of unions went on strike on Wednesday in California, Colorado, Oregon, and Washington. Their primary demands are for increased wages and solutions to an ongoing short-staffing crisis, which has been further aggravated by the pandemic. This crisis has resulted in workers feeling overwhelmed and depleted. Additionally, approximately 200 employees from Kaiser facilities in Virginia and Washington, DC, joined the picket lines for a single day on Wednesday. The striking workers consist of various medical staff, including nursing personnel, lab technicians, and receptionists.Kaiser Permanente, one of the largest nonprofit health plans in the US, has acknowledged the impact of the labor shortage on the entire health care industry. In response, the organization has pledged to take proactive measures to recruit additional staff members. As of now, Kaiser has successfully hired 10,086 individuals for union-represented positions this year. However, critics among the picketers have raised concerns that some of these hires merely involved internal employees changing their roles. They argue that more must be done to resolve the staffing shortage, which the union deems as "unsafe".
The coalition of unions has also argued that raising employee pay will attract workers.
Kaiser Permanente healthcare employees, joined by Union members, are seen walking the picket line in Los Angeles on October 5, 2023. The strike, which entered its second day, involves over 75,000 employees and has become one of the largest healthcare worker strikes in recent US history. The dispute regarding staffing levels remains unresolved.
Kaiser Permanente proposed a 5% wage hike for the initial three years of the new agreement and a 4% increase for the final year for all unionized workers. However, the coalition has not agreed to this offer, instead requesting a 6.5% rise in the first two years of the contract and a 5.75% increase in the last two years. Additionally, Kaiser has not met the union's demand to increase the minimum wage to $24 per hour for all unionized employees by 2024.
A spokesperson for Kaiser said the coalition and management have reached tentative agreements on some other issues involving remote workers and tracking staffing vacancies.
Patients have started to feel the effects of the strike
Despite Kaiser Permanente's claim to have contingency plans in place to ensure patient care during the strike, some individuals have reported experiencing its impact. Jennifer Fry, a 43-year-old Kaiser patient from Vacaville, California, had her ultrasound appointment, which was intended to confirm the viability of her pregnancy, rescheduled from Thursday to Monday. Although the appointment was only delayed, Fry expressed her disappointment in having to wait to receive confirmation of her pregnancy.
"I admit that I was actively seeking a solution and, to be completely honest, I did explore the possibility of getting a private ultrasound without involving my insurance," she revealed. "I was genuinely excited about the prospect."
Conflicted, another interviewee shared with CNN her feelings of guilt as she had to cross the picket line in front of a Kaiser hospital, despite it being an emergency situation.
Larriesha Malbrough, a patient at Kaiser, expressed the struggle of trying to respect the situation while also prioritizing her own health during an emergency. Overwhelmed with emotions, she tearfully apologized to the hospital staff upon entering. Natasha Chen from CNN contributed to this report.
