Truth matters. Community matters. Your support makes both possible. LAist is one of the few places where news remains independent and free from political and corporate influence. Stand up for truth and for LAist. Make your year-end tax-deductible gift now.
Kaiser Health Worker Strike Ends As Talks Continue
Union members picket outside the Kaiser hospital in Baldwin Park on Oct. 4, 2023.
(
Jackie Fortiér
/
LAist
)
Topline:
The massive three-day walkout of 75,000 Kaiser health workers in California, Colorado, Oregon, Washington, Virginia and Washington D.C. started Oct. 4. About 80 percent of them were in California. The strike ends early Saturday morning.
Who was on strike? In Southern California, more than 28,000 medical assistants, nurses, surgical technicians, phlebotomists, pharmacy technicians, respiratory therapists, X-ray technicians and ultrasound sonographers among other unionized health workers walked out for three days — that’s about 34% of Kaiser’s Southern California workforce.
Why now: The last contract expired Sept. 30. In-person talks resume next week, but if a deal can’t be reached, union leaders say another strike could take place.
The backstory: Union leaders want a $25-an-hour minimum wage across the company. Kaiser executives agree there should be an organization-wide minimum, but they’ve proposed $21, and $23 in California. The unions also say chronic understaffing puts patients at risk, which Kaiser denies.
What about Kaiser patients? Kaiser Permanente closed a number of labs during the strike, while hospitals, emergency departments and pharmacies remained open. Kaiser told LAist some scheduled appointments were switched to video or phone calls and “most routine surgeries were not rescheduled.”
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our connected community. We are free to tell the full truth, to hold power to account without fear or favor, and to follow facts wherever they lead. Our only loyalty is to our audiences and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen our community.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive before year-end will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive before year-end will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
