SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — Tens of thousands of healthcare workers with Kaiser Permanente are set to begin a five-day strike Tuesday morning.
That includes more than 3,000 workers in the San Diego region who say they are fighting for better pay and staffing levels.
Kaiser and United Nurses Association of California/Union of Healthcare Professionals are expecting that more than 40,000 workers could strike across California and also in Hawaii and Oregon.
“It has come to this. It’s not our goal to have obviously a strike, but is our way of saying enough is enough,” said Nikki Avey, Labor and Delivery Registered Nurse and also president of the San Diego affiliate of UNAC/UHCP.
UNAC/UHCP represents registered nurses, pharmacists, midwives, physician assistants and other specialty healthcare professionals.
However, there have been other Kaiser strikes in recent history.
“Support staff a couple years ago. We had our mental healthcare workers just recently on strike. So it’s a theme these days that I guess we have to withhold our labor to really have a voice and to get what we need and deserve,” Avey said.
UNAC/UHCP and Kaiser have been at the negotiating table for months. Avey says the biggest grievances with staffing levels ultimately affect patient care.
“That we have these nurse-patient ratios in our contract, and they are just not following them every day,” Avey said.
Meantime a lengthy statement from Kaiser Permanente claims wages are at the heart of the ongoing contract dispute.
Kaiser says these employees already early 16% more than their peers in the industry, but are offering an additional 21.5% increase over a four-year contract along with better medical and retirement benefits.
Kaiser says the 25% raise the union is seeking would ultimately lead to higher rates for members and customers.
This five-day strike will be the largest in UNAC/UHCP’s 50-year history.
The strike starts Tuesday at 7 a.m. The union says it’s always ready to meet and bargain, but right now there are no dates set.
Meantime, thousands of nurses and healthcare workers with Sharp Healthcare will begin an informational picket this Wednesday amid their own ongoing contract bargaining.
