Southern California Kaiser Permanente Healthcare Workers Go On Strike
Nurses and healthcare workers in 80 Southern California Kaiser Permanente facilities are on strike for the next 24-hours in response to staffing deficiencies, as well as proposals to cut healthcare and retirement benefits, and excessive compensation packages given to top executives.
The National Union of Healthcare Workers is organizing the strike, which is taking place at Kaiser Los Angeles Medical Center. Other Southern California Kaiser Permanente facilities affected by the strike include Woodland Hills, Downey, and San Diego.
"We are striking for better patient care, safe staffing. We are also striking for fair contracts!" said Maylanda Eastman, a medical social worker at Irvine Medical Center. "We would like Kaiser executives to get off their high horse and start listening to their patients and their employees instead of taking their huge retirement plans and all their profits."
The NUHW gave Kaiser 10 days notice of the strike. And in response to the strikes, Kaiser is implementing "comprehensive contingency plans" to keep its facilities open.
"We recognize the NUHW's legal right to conduct a strike, but we believe the bargaining table is the best place to resolve differences...We continue to seek meaningful dialogue and negotiate in good faith; we hope to reach an agreement soon," Kaiser said in a statement.
In September, the NUHW organized a strike in response to similar conditions. But Kaiser contends that they have been bargaining with the NUHW for about two years with proposals on "salary, working conditions, benefits, etc."
Hoever, according to Rosselli, "Kaiser is not listening to [the healthcare workers]. They want improvements in staffing. There are unsafe assignments...There is a staffing crisis everyday in Kaiser facilities, [but] they're not listening at the bargaining table."
Douglas Aberg, a registered nurse, is protesting for the fourth time. He, and 2,000 other nurses, claim that hospitals refuse to provide sufficient staff for patients
"I think the public needs to send a message to Kaiser administration that if any of their care should suffer because of insufficient staff, there will be problems," he said.
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