Tens of thousands of California health care workers began striking Monday morning amid a long-simmering battle with employer Kaiser Permanente over wages and staffing levels.
Members of the United Nurses Association of California/Union of Health Care Professionals — which represents more than 40,000 registered nurses and health workers across California and Hawaii — launched the strike at 7 a.m. Monday after contract talks stalled at the end of 2025.
Workers have accused Kaiser of failing to invest in staffing despite a state-backed pay bump.
Members of the United Nurses Association of California/Union of Health Care Professionals — which represents more than 40,000 registered nurses and health workers across California and Hawaii — launched the strike at 7 a.m. Monday. Mike BlakeThe walkout comes after the health care giant recently offered a 21% wage increase, fueling union claims that management has the resources to hire more staff but has chosen not to.
A Kaiser official told The Post that the union has agreed to return to local bargaining.
“This open-ended strike by UNAC/UHCP is unnecessary when such a generous offer is on the table,” said Camille Applin-Jones, senior vice president at Kaiser Permanente Southern California.
In a preemptive move, the Oakland-based company filed a federal lawsuit against the union saying it had been bargaining in bad faith, and blasting the union alliance for what it called “unreasonable” pay demands.
Workers have accused Kaiser of failing to invest in staffing despite a state-backed pay bump, members say. Mike BlakeThe union is seeking a sweeping 25% wage hike over four years — including a front-loaded 17% raise in the first 18 months, demands that Kaiser’s lawyers say would sharply drive up labor costs and undermine affordable care for members.
“The lawsuit is without merit and is yet another fruitless attempt by Kaiser to avoid bargaining with its unions for fair labor agreements,” a spokesperson for the nurses union told The Post.
Kaiser said it has spent months preparing contingency plans to maintain patient care during the strike, with hospitals and nearly all medical offices remaining open.
In a statement, the healthcare company said facilities will be staffed by physicians, experienced managers, trained employees and licensed contract professionals, including nurses and clinicians being onboarded for the walkout. The system said it will also shift some appointments to virtual care and may reschedule elective procedures.
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