The Kaiser Permanente Union of Unions, which represents more than 85,000 health care workers in seven states and the District of Columbia, said Saturday it has not yet reached an agreement with the organization, threatening the possibility of the nation’s largest health care strike. It became a stepping stone. History later this week.
Hours before workers’ contracts were set to expire after 11:59 p.m. PT on Saturday, the coalition announced that it would be a coalition of nonprofits on important issues such as across-the-board wage increases, retiree health care plans, and protections from subcontracting and outsourcing. He said there remains a significant gap between him and Kaiser Permanente. .
“Kaiser continues to negotiate in bad faith over these issues, and so far there is no light at the end of the tunnel,” the coalition said in a statement Saturday night.
Coalition national negotiation team I submitted a 10-day notice. On September 22nd, the company called on Kaiser Permanente executives to go on strike at 6 a.m. Wednesday if an agreement is not reached.
More than 75,000 health care workers in California, Oregon, Washington, Colorado, Virginia and Washington, D.C., are expected to take part in the strike, making it the largest health worker strike in U.S. history. . The coalition said hundreds of leaders had recently received training on how to operate picket lines ahead of the strike, which could last until 6 a.m. on Oct. 7.
Kaiser Permanente is the largest not-for-profit healthcare provider in the United States, reporting more than $3 billion in profits in the first six months of 2023.
In a statement shared with The Hill, Kaiser said he continues to “make progress on important issues,” including continuing education travel, the use of temporary staff such as traveling nurses, and tracking vacancies. He stated that he had reached a tentative agreement with the federation regarding the issue. and conflict resolution.
The nonprofit group said it was “optimistic” that an agreement could be reached by Wednesday, noting that the expiration of the contract does not necessarily mean a strike.
Kaiser and the coalition last negotiated a contract in 2019, a year before health care workers were put on the front lines of the pandemic and forced to work in worsening conditions.
The coalition is also asking Kaiser to address staff concerns about unsafe staffing levels.
One May Survey of 33,000 healthcare workers In a survey by the Service Employees International Union-Western Federation of Healthcare Workers’ Unions, nearly two-thirds said they had witnessed delays in care or denial of care due to staffing shortages.
Kaiser told The Hill that it has hired more than 50,000 front-line workers over the past two years, including more than 9,800 workers represented by the coalition. In April, the nonprofit announced an agreement with the coalition to hire 10,000 new people in coalition-represented positions by the end of 2023. The nonprofit said it expects to reach that goal by the end of October.
When it comes to pay, the nonprofit claims it is the “total compensation leader” in every market in which it operates, and that its proposal ensures it maintains that position. Kaiser said his current proposals to the coalition include across-the-board wage increases and a $21 minimum wage starting in 2024 in Washington, Oregon, Colorado, Virginia, Maryland, D.C., and Hawaii, and a $23 minimum wage starting in 2024 in California. It said that it included proposals.
Kaiser operations are expected to continue as usual Sunday regardless of contract status, and hospitals and emergency rooms will remain open regardless of the strike, Kaiser said.
The nonprofit also said it has “contingency plans” in place to ensure patients receive care during the strike.
The Kaiser Permanente union federation did not immediately respond to The Hill’s request for comment.
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