Hundreds of California Kaiser workers strike

Hundreds of healthcare workers across multiple Kaiser Permanente facilities in Northern California began a one-day strike Sept. 8.

Here are five things to know:

1. The strike involves more than 600 nurse midwives and nurse anesthetists across more than 20 hospitals. They are negotiating over issues including “unsafe staffing, burnout, and the risk to patient care,” according to a Sept. 8 news release from United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals.

2. A total of around 1,300 healthcare professionals at Oakland, Calif.-based Kaiser Permanente’s Northern California facilities represented by the union are on strike. This includes UNAC physician assistants and acupuncturists as well as Local 39 engineers, who issued sympathy strike notices to the health system, a Kaiser Permanente spokesperson said in a statement shared with Becker’s.

3. Kaiser Permanente has been negotiating with the Alliance of Health Care Unions on a new national agreement since May, which includes UNAC/UHCP. The current agreement expires Sept. 30.

“The decision to call for a strike is disappointing given Kaiser Permanente is scheduled to continue our negotiations with UNAC/UHCP on multiple dates in September,” the spokesperson said. “We will continue to bargain in good faith to reach an agreement that is good for our employees and allows us to continue providing high-quality care that is affordable for our members and patients.”

4. Hospitals and medical offices will remain open during the strike and there are “robust plans in place to ensure we can continue to deliver the high-quality care and services our members and patients deserve,” the spokesperson said.

“We’re not only fighting for fair treatment at work — we’re demanding the staffing, resources, and respect that make safe, expert care possible,” Charmaine Morales, RN, president of UNAC/UHCP, said in the release.

5. Kaiser Permanente said its staffing levels have met or exceeded California’s mandated nurse-to-patient ratios.

“In 2024, we added more than 6,332 people to our workforce — including 4,695 in care delivery and 1,684 in Alliance-represented roles,” the spokesperson said. “We are proud that about 92% of our employees in Alliance-represented roles choose to stay with Kaiser Permanente, significantly higher than the national healthcare average.”

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