IE Business Daily Business news for the Inland Empire.
Thousands of Kaiser Permanente healthcare workers walked off the job Oct. 14, beginning a five-day strike regarding safe staffing, equitable pay and benefits, and a stronger voice for frontline caregivers.
The strike involves an estimated 31,000 pharmacists, nurse anesthetists, nurse practitioners, midwives, physician assistants, rehab therapists, speech language pathologists, dietitians and other specialty professionals, according to multiple reports.
Negotiations have been ongoing for four months. This is the largest strike ever undertaken by the United Nurses Association of California/Union of Healthcare Professionals, according to multiple reports.
In a statement, Kaiser management noted that it has been dealing with similar disputes throughout the country this year.
“Since May, we’ve been actively working to reach new national and local agreements, achieving 52 tentative agreements, holding more than 900 local bargaining sessions,” the statement reads. “We’ve taken multiple steps to move negotiations forward, and we remain committed to reaching a fair agreement if possible.”
The strike is scheduled to end at 7 a.m. October 19, according to reports.
