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LOS ANGELES (CNS) - An estimated 75,000 healthcare workers are preparing for a three-day strike Oct. 4-6 now that their contract with Kaiser Permanente has expired without a new agreement in place.
"In a few hours, our contract will expire and it doesn't look like we will have a new agreement," the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions said in a statement on its website Saturday just hours before the current contract expired at midnight.
Locally, SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West, which represents roughly 60,000 healthcare workers in California, announced Sept. 14 that 98% or its members voted to authorize the strike to protest "unfair labor practices" if no agreement was reached before the contract expired.
In addition to California, the strike would affect healthcare workers in Oregon, Washington, Colorado, Virginia and Washington DC. It would be the largest-ever healthcare workers' strike, the Coalition said.
Despite the planned work stoppage, the Coalition acknowledged that the ongoing talks have been mostly positive.
"There have been good discussions with Kaiser on a number of issues, and while there is no concrete agreement, we can see a path to resolution on raising shift differentials, a fair remote work agreement, and investments in training for both current employees to promote to harder to fill jobs and community members to become the healthcare workforce needed for the future," the statement said.
But the statement noted the two sides remain "far apart" on pay raises, protections against subcontracting and outsourcing, support and recognition of the union, an amount for performance-sharing bonuses and a medical plan for retirees.
"Kaiser continues to bargain in bad faith over these issues and, so far, there is no light at the end of the tunnel," the Coalition said.
Officials at Kaiser Thursday agreed negotiations are ongoing, but felt the planned strike was unnecessary.
"We are continuing to bargain with the Coalition to reach a new agreement that protects and improves all these great advantages of working at Kaiser Permanente," the healthcare provider noted on its website. "Our goal is to reach a fair and equitable agreement that strengthens our position as a best place to work and ensures that the high-quality care our members expect from us remains affordable and easy to access.
"Given the progress being made in national bargaining, there is no reason to strike. The best place to reach an agreement is at the bargaining table. We will ask our employees to reject any call to walk away from their jobs, their patients, and their colleagues. While a strike threat is disappointing, it does not necessarily mean a strike will happen. We take any threat to disrupt care for our members seriously and have plans in place to ensure we can continue to provide high-quality care should a strike actually occur."