The United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals (UNAC/UHCP) — which represents more than 30,000 Kaiser Permanente employees in California — told the company's executives that the strike will begin on Tuesday, October 14.
Healthcare unions are required by law to give employers a ten-day notice before a strike so that hospitals can prepare.
It’s the largest UNAC/UHCP strike ever against Kaiser. Tens of thousands of nurses and healthcare professionals are expected to join the picket line at hospitals across California.
Union representatives say stagnant wages, issues with pensions and retirement, and unsafe staffing conditions are the primary drivers behind the strike. They’re working to re-negotiate a contract that expired last week.
In a statement, Kaiser Permanente denied that staffing conditions are unsafe. They say Kaiser meets, and often exceeds, California’s mandated nurse to patient ratio. They also say they’ve offered strong wage increases and retirement benefits.
Affected locations haven’t been announced yet.
