One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Kaiser Healthcare Workers Holding One of Largest Strikes in Hospital's History
Photo of Kaiser nurses protesting in June 2010, courtesy of NUHW.
If you have an appointment at Kaiser today, you might want to call ahead -- one of the largest healthcare worker strikes in the hospital's history is happening today, reports NBC Los Angeles.
The strike is spearheaded by the National Union of Healthcare Workers, or NUHW, and according to the union's website, it stems from contract negotiations that have been going on since 2010. Workers say Kaiser is trying to cut their health care and retirement benefits by too much, and that the hospital refuses to hire enough staff to adequately meet patient needs.
NUHW is being joined by the California Nurses Association as well as Local 39 Station Engineers, and NUHW estimates that as many as 23,000 people will be on the picket lines today.
The strikes are taking place throughout California, from San Francisco to SoCal. The largest local picket line will be at Kaiser's Sunset and Vine location.
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
