Kaiser Permanente Workers to Hold Strike Authorization Vote

Kaiser Permanente workers will begin voting Aug. 26 on whether to authorize a strike as their unions grow increasingly frustrated in negotiations with the West Coast health care giant.

The possible strike would involve 85,000 workers across seven states and Washington, D.C., one of the largest private-sector collective bargaining agreements in the nation.

The Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions blasted the company Thursday, alleging it ran a $3.3 billion profit in the first half of 2023 despite its nonprofit status. The company withheld critical information during collective bargaining and recently refused to meet because the union’s team was too large, said Dave Regan, president of SEIU United Healthcare Workers West.

“Kaiser has lost its way, we are exhausted, we have made a decision that we don’t want to take this anymore,” Regan told reporters.

A strike would tentatively begin Oct. 1 if no deal is reached, Regan said.

Kaiser Permanente spokesman Wayne Davis said in a statement that the strike authorization vote “does not reflect any breakdown in bargaining, nor does it indicate a strike is imminent or will happen at all.”

“It is a disappointing action considering our progress at the bargaining table,” he said. “It does not reflect our commitment to reaching an agreement that ensures we can continue to provide market-competitive pay and outstanding benefits.”

Staff that left during the pandemic haven’t been replaced, leaving workers stretched thin and patients vulnerable to mistakes and long wait times, according to the union.