An estimated 4,000 Kaiser Permanente healthcare workers in Oregon and Southwest Washington began a three-day strike, joining a larger labor movement involving 75,000 Kaiser employees across the healthcare industry.
This comes as Kaiser Permanente faces existing staff shortages after pharmacy technicians and warehouse workers initiated their own walkout on Oct. 1, with the possibility of lasting until Oct 21.
Kaiser Permanente assured their hospitals, emergency departments and urgent care locations remained open, but several facilities in the Portland metro area, Salem and Eugene will close during strikes.
Some patients may also experience higher call volumes and longer wait times. Additionally those with elective surgeries or non-urgent appointments may also experience rescheduling or conversion to virtual care and will be notified in advance.
All urgent care centers, Kaiser Sunnyside Medical Center, and Kaiser Westside Medical Center are expected to operate as usual.
In a statement from The Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions, this would be the largest healthcare worker strike in U.S. history — with more than 75,000 Kaiser healthcare workers across California, Oregon, Washington, Colorado, Virginia and Washington, D.C., taking part. The coalition says Kaiser has failed to address concerns related to short staffing, patient safety and fair wages.
They also criticized Kaiser's proposed raises and alleged unfair labor practices.
According to SEIU Local 49, bargaining team members visited California in an attempt to reach a tentative agreement with Kaiser executives. Those members said they failed to reach an agreement with Kaiser executives.
Annette Keathley, medical assistant at Kaiser Permanente North Lancaster said, “Kaiser executives need to listen to us…we have the insights they seem to lack on how to solve the Kaiser short staffing crisis and bring home a contract that respects our work, reestablishes Kaiser as the gold standard for healthcare, and provides the level of care our patients deserve.”
The Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions says they remain far apart on several issues including:
- Across-the-board raises
- Protections against subcontracting and outsourcing
- Retention bonuses
- Staff benefits
Kaiser officials responded to the strike notice by highlighting the challenges healthcare workers have faced over the past few years, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. They emphasized their commitment to staff retention, competitive wages and increased education and health benefits.
Additionally, they pointed to their recruitment efforts with a statement that reads in part:
“Kaiser Permanente and the coalition agreed to work together to accelerate hiring this year, setting a joint goal in bargaining of hiring 10,000 new people for coalition-represented jobs in 2023. Kaiser Permanente’s efforts to date have resulted in more than 9,700 positions filled, and we are aggressively recruiting to fill more.”
The strike is expected to continue through Oct 6.
