Around 75,000 healthcare workers initiated a planned three-day strike at Kaiser Permanente facilities across the U.S., marking the largest-ever action of its kind in the healthcare sector. The strike involves nurses, medical technicians, and other support staff from various hospitals in states like California, Oregon, Washington, Colorado, Virginia, and Washington D.C.
The coalition of unions representing these workers claims that Kaiser Permanente, a leading not-for-profit healthcare network, has not addressed the ongoing staffing issues, leading to workers feeling overburdened and undercompensated. The strike comes after the expiration of the previous contract on September 30. The unions argue that Kaiser needs to hire an additional 10,000 healthcare workers to fill existing vacancies.