Some 75,000 Kaiser Permanente workers are taking to picket lines in multiple states over wages and staff shortages. Unions representing the workers who walked off the job Wednesday approved a strike for three days in California, Colorado, Oregon, Washington, and one day in Virginia and the District of Columbia.

Video on subject, The Hill:

Kaiser Permanente Workers Stage LARGEST HEALTH CARE Strike In US History: Report

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSSX3TEDwGc

The Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions, representing about 85,000 of the health system’s employees nationally, approved a strike for three days in California, Colorado, Oregon and Washington, and for one day in Virginia and Washington, D.C. Some 75,000 people were expected to participate in the pickets.

The Oakland, California-based nonprofit company said its 39 hospitals, including emergency rooms, will remain open. Doctors are not participating, and Kaiser said it was bringing in thousands of temporary workers to fill the gaps. Still, appointments and non-urgent procedures could be pushed back.

Early Wednesday, workers at Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center cheered as the strike deadline arrived. The strikers include licensed vocational nurses, home health aides and ultrasound sonographers, as well as technicians in the radiology, X-ray, surgical, pharmacy and emergency departments.

Across Virginia and Washington, D.C., only 180 workers were eligible to strike, according to Local 2 Secretary-Treasurer Sarah Levesque. The picketers had to travel miles across the region to meet up, so rather than commuting long distances for three days, they instead chose to participate in a one-day strike and converged in Springfield, Va., on Wednesday.

At least 453,000 workers have participated in 312 strikes in the U.S. this year, according to Johnnie Kallas, a Ph.D. candidate and the project director of Cornell University’s Labor Action Tracker. That figure includes Kaiser workers.

Unions representing Kaiser workers in August asked for a $25 hourly minimum wage, as well as increases of 7% each year in the first two years and 6.25% each year in the two years afterward.

  • @[email protected]English
    -16•1 year ago

    Can’t wait for healthcare to become EVEN MORE expensive as a result

    Because you know they’re not going to take a cut in order to pay workers fairly.

    • @Capricorny90210English
      33•1 year ago

      I still see workers fighting for their rights as a positive.

      • @[email protected]English
        -3•1 year ago

        Well yeah, of course, but you already know they’re just going to use this as a way to squeeze more money out of people

        • wagesj45
          4•1 year ago

          Kinda yes. But also kinda no, because they’re already trying to squeeze as much as possible before everyone breaks. Anything they can do, they were going to do already. They might have something new to blame it on, but I don’t think any particular squeezing will be the fault of the striking workers.

          • @[email protected]English
            1•1 year ago

            I’m not saying it’s the strikers’ fault at all. It’s the executives and insurance companies.

            • wagesj45
              2•1 year ago

              Oh yeah I get that. I wasn’t hating on you. Just making my own little side point that they’re squeezing as much as they can from the patients. Giving more to the labor side wouldn’t make patients have anymore to give. Blood from a stone and all that. :)

              • @[email protected]English
                0•1 year ago

                Okay good, I just wanted to clarify cause I think my initial comment could get misconstrued

    • @Holyginz
      13•1 year ago

      Largely the insane costs are the fault of insurance companies, albeit yes they collude with the hospitals to keep costs high so people need insurance.