Kaiser Permanente Workers Start 3 Day-Strike, Possibly Largest Healthcare Strike In US History

Over 75,000 employees of Kaiser Permanente initiated a three-day strike, posing a significant threat to one of the nation's largest healthcare providers and contributing to the ongoing labor disruptions sweeping across various US industries. 

This mass strike is anticipated to disrupt services for nearly 13 million people in several states. Routine medical appointments are expected to be temporarily halted.

The strike targets Kaiser hospitals and medical offices in California, Colorado, Oregon, Virginia, the District of Columbia, and Washington, Bloomberg noted.

The striking workers include vocational nurses, emergency department technicians, radiology technicians, X-ray technicians, respiratory therapists, medical assistants, and pharmacists, among others.

Kaiser Permanente has assured that hospitals and emergency services will continue functioning through staff reassignments and replacement workers.

This strike is emblematic of the escalating tensions between healthcare companies and their workforce, a trend that has intensified since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, with many exhausted healthcare workers leaving their roles. 

Kaiser Permanente has disputed these claims, asserting that they offered across-the-board wage increases of at least 12.5% over four years, alongside state-specific minimum wages ranging from $21 to $23 per hour. 

Despite extensive negotiations, the two parties have failed to reach an agreement thus far.

The U.S. healthcare industry has not witnessed such a significant strike in over two decades, with over 20,000 more workers participating than in the next-largest strike recorded in 2018 at the University of California.