Topline:
More than 75,000 Kaiser Permanente health care workers in California, Colorado, Oregon, Washington, Virginia and Washington D.C. are on a three-day strike.
Who is on strike? In Southern California, more than 28,000 medical assistants, surgical technicians, phlebotomists, pharmacy technicians, respiratory therapists, X-ray technicians and ultrasound sonographers and some nurses, among other unionized health workers, are on strike – that’s about 34% of Kaiser’s Southern California workforce.
Why now: The last contract expired Sept. 30, with negotiations continuing over the weekend without reaching a deal.
The backstory: The coalition of union workers 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? All Kaiser Permanente hospitals, emergency departments and pharmacies will remain open during the strike. The health care provider said it would contact affected members.
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