Social Media Backs Kaiser Permanente Workers' Biggest Strike In Healthcare Industry

Tens of thousands of Kaiser Permanente healthcare workers initiated a three-day strike on Wednesday following unsuccessful contract negotiations.

This strike action, which began with a few employees in Virginia and the District of Columbia, may lead to potential patient delays in accessing medical services, particularly in California. It has also sparked a conversation on social media, with several people expressing their support for and desire to join at the picket lines.

Over 75,000 Kaiser employees, including pharmacy workers, X-ray and lab technicians, sanitation workers, and support staff, have kicked off a strike after disagreeing on a new contract. Workers stationed themselves outside Kaiser's facilities like hospitals and clinics in California early Wednesday morning.

Although doctors and many nurses were not part of the strike, Kaiser officials cautioned that some non-urgent procedures might be delayed, wait times for phone assistance might be longer, and clinic hours could be reduced.

The striking union members operate imaging equipment, play crucial roles in surgeries, and provide assistance in outpatient clinics. Some non-urgent procedures they perform are medical appointments, lab results, and prescriptions.

To address the disruption of workflow, The Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions, which comprises a dozen unions representing frontline healthcare workers, previously shared in an earlier statement:

"Tens of thousands of frontline Kaiser health care workers across the country are ready for an unfair labor practice strike at 6 a.m. today. Patients and workers need dramatic action now to solve the Kaiser short staffing crisis and to ensure our patients' safety."

The New York Times stated that Kaiser disclosed that it has "robust contingency plans to ensure members continue to receive safe, high-quality care should a strike occur," emphasizing that all its hospitals and emergency departments would remain open.

The integrated managed care consortium also shared that talks about the new contract were still underway following the expiration of the former over the weekend. In a statement issued earlier in the day, the outfit explained that both sides "are still at the bargaining table, having worked through the night to reach an agreement."

The statement noted significant progress, with "agreements on several specific proposals" late Tuesday. Tensions had arisen due to acute staffing shortages leading up to the contract's expiration, causing friction between the unions and Kaiser executives. 

Workers contended that inadequate staffing at Kaiser facilities compromised patient safety. The unions argued that Kaiser needed to offer better wages to attract and retain staff, especially considering the significant workforce challenges during the pandemic.

In the proposals for a new four-year contract, the union had requested a $25 hourly minimum wage and proposed raises of 7% in the first two years and 6.25% in the next two years. In contrast, Kaiser had countered with minimum hourly wages ranging from $21 to $23 in the next year, with gradual annual $1 increases. The specific raises would vary depending on the location.

Kaiser, a significant nonprofit health system, offers care through its health plans to approximately 13 million people across eight states. Union leaders have noted that this strike could potentially become the largest strike by healthcare workers in recent U.S. history, underscoring the significance of the labor action.

When news of the strike made its way to the social media platform X — formerly known as Twitter, it received a rousing response from several cybernauts. Reacting to a clip of workers being cheered, as they walked out of one of Kaiser's facilities, one person exclaimed, "75,000 strong!!! I'll picket in support of our UNIONS!!"

"That's my people. Beautiful and diverse working-class people who want a say in their lives. We are one in solidarity!!," a second individual emphasized, as a former staff lengthily wrote:

"This is way overdue there as the situation was very bad when I was a member several years ago. They needed to walk in solidarity across the company and now have. Wishing them a short, successful strike."

After mauling it over, a third viewer objectively shared, "This happens more often than you all think, " which is very valid. However, the patients are neglected, and the staff that decides to stay and care for the sick are strained. Nobody wins." At the same time, one person asked, "Anything Kaiser patients in Georgia can do in solidarity?"