Kaiser Permanente, one of the nation’s largest nonprofit healthcare delivery organizations, has been operating for over 75 years. It is known for its low-cost and efficient healthcare, and is “one of the top three largest individual health insurance providers in each state or region where it operates.” On Wednesday, a three-day strike began for over 75,000 employees.
The New York Times spoke to a laboratory assistant who stated, “We’re here because we love to be here, we love our community. But we are so short-staffed.” It’s reported that staffing shortages at Kaiser Permanente have “reached crisis levels for patients and employees alike.”
AP News says, “The strikers include licensed vocational nurses, home health aides, and ultrasound sonographers, as well as technicians in the radiology, X-ray, surgical, pharmacy and emergency departments.”
Union leaders say this could be the largest strike by healthcare workers in US history.
Kaiser has put contingency plans in place and has kept all hospitals open. Although many doctors and nurses are not involved in the strike, officials warned that non-emergent procedures could be postponed, clinic hours might be reduced, and phone calls for assistants could be lengthy.
Employees and patients alike hope a fair agreement is reached and the strike will end soon.
