Kaiser Permanente workers agree to new labor contract post-strike

Editor's Note

Kaiser Permanente union workers have agreed to a new 4-year contract that includes 21% raises along with new minimum wages and provisions to improve staffing shortages, Chief Healthcare Executive November 10 reports. 

In October of this year, more than 75,000 Kaiser Permanente healthcare workers, including nurses and technicians, took part in a 3-day strike, which labor leaders called the largest healthcare worker strike in US history. According to union leaders, 98.5% of their membership–more than 85,000 workers–have approved the new contract. 

The deal will be in effect from October 1, 2023, through September 2027, and it applies to Kaiser facilities across California, Colorado, Oregon, Washington state, Hawaii, Maryland, Virginia, and Washington DC. (Across its network, Kaiser Permanente operates 39 hospitals and more than 600 additional medical offices

Under the new terms, the system’s starting wage will be $25 per hour in California, and $23 per hour outside of California. As part of the deal, Kaiser will accelerate the hiring process and step up training efforts for current staff to fill vacancies.