31,000 Kaiser nurses, healthcare workers prepare for historic strike

Editor's Note

More than 31,000 Kaiser Permanente nurses and healthcare professionals are set to walk off the job on October 14 in what could be one of the largest healthcare strikes in recent history, Nurse.org October 7 reports. The 5-day strike, led by the United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals (UNAC/UHCP), will impact more than two dozen hospitals and clinics in California, Hawaii, and Oregon, with additional support expected from other Alliance of Health Care Unions (AHCU) locals representing 62,000 Kaiser employees nationwide.

Union leaders cite four main issues fueling the strike: safe staffing, compensation, retirement security, and labor-management partnership. Nurses and healthcare workers argue that current staffing levels are unsafe, with schedules driven by corporate targets rather than patient acuity. They also point to wage proposals that fail to keep pace with inflation and housing costs, undermining recruitment and retention. Retirement benefits remain a sticking point, with many employees voicing concerns about long-term economic stability. Additionally, unions say Kaiser has drifted from its long-standing labor partnership model that gave frontline workers more say in patient care decisions.

Kaiser counters that its latest offer includes a 21.5% pay increase over 4 years, enhanced benefits, and new education investments. The system has also prepared contingency plans, including deploying temporary staff and rescheduling non-urgent appointments, to minimize disruptions in patient care during the strike. Despite months of bargaining, both sides remain at an impasse, though additional talks scheduled October 6–10 could avert a walkout.

The potential strike has wide implications. Contracts for roughly 46,000 additional Kaiser workers expired recently, and nearly all affiliated unions have issued strike notices. Union officials argue that Kaiser’s $64 billion in reserves, much of it built during the COVID-19 pandemic, should be used to bolster wages and staffing rather than expansion projects outside its core service areas. In an October 3 press release, UNAC/UHCP leaders framed the action as protecting both patients and caregivers, warning that unsafe staffing threatens care quality and workforce stability.

For patient care, both unions and Kaiser emphasize safety and continuity as priorities. However, observers note any large-scale walkout raises the risk of longer wait times and reduced access to services. Labor experts suggest the strike’s outcome could shape broader healthcare labor relations, particularly on staffing ratios, pay equity, and retirement security.