Health care workers represented by the United Nurses Association of California/Union of Health Care Professionals (UNAC/UHCP) have issued a strike notice to Kaiser Permanente executives, setting a planned walkout for Tuesday, October 14. The union’s announcement comes within the required ten-day notification period that health care unions must provide before initiating a strike.
The action is expected to be the largest UNAC/UHCP-led strike against Kaiser Permanente to date. Tens of thousands of registered nurses and health professionals are set to participate at more than two dozen hospitals in California and Hawaii. Members from the Alliance of Health Care Unions will also join picket lines in California, Hawaii, and Oregon.
UNAC/UHCP represents over 31,000 union health care professionals employed by Kaiser. The organization is part of the Alliance of Health Care Unions, which negotiates national contracts on behalf of 23 local unions covering staff at numerous hospitals and clinics across the country. Nationwide, the Alliance includes about 62,000 Kaiser employees. Of these, contracts for 46,000 workers expired on September 30 or October 1; nearly all affected local unions have provided Kaiser with ten-day strike notices.
Workers cite stagnant wages and concerns over staffing levels as reasons for their decision to strike. They argue that these issues impact both employees and patient care at Kaiser facilities. According to a recent news release from the union, Kaiser holds $64 billion in reserves—a sum much of which was accumulated during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Our members built Kaiser into the respected institution it is today,” said UNAC/UHCP lead negotiator and executive director Joe Guzynski. “If Kaiser refuses to invest in them now, it isn’t just neglecting its workforce — it’s putting the entire health care system at risk.”
Employees are calling on Kaiser to address safe staffing concerns by honoring contractual ratios and implementing staffing solutions based on current needs rather than corporate objectives. Workers are also seeking fair compensation, economic security, and retirement benefits.
