How Kaiser Permanente Workers’ Strike is Affecting Healthcare in the United States
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Kaiser Permanente, one of the largest not-for-profit health providers in the United States, is currently facing a labor strike by thousands of unionized health care employees 1. The strike began on Wednesday, October 4th, 2023, after failed contract negotiations with the employer 12. The workers are demanding higher pay and more staff 23. The strike is expected to last until October 7th, 2023.
Kaiser Permanente’s business model is unique compared to most health care providers in the United States. It operates both as an insurance plan and a provider of all care covered by that plan. Patients (or their employers) pay a membership fee to Kaiser Permanente to access its services. That means that although thousands of workers are on strike at Kaiser, the company will continue to collect money from membership fees.
Founded in 1945 in Oakland, California, Kaiser Permanente operates 39 hospitals and 622 medical offices across California, Colorado, the District of Columbia, Georgia, Hawaii, Maryland, Oregon, Virginia and Washington. It also employs nearly 213,000 employees and has a membership of 12.7 million.
The strike by Kaiser Permanente workers is significant because it is the largest health care worker strike in US history 13. The Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions and the healthcare company failed to reach a contract agreement by the September 30 deadline. As a result, healthcare workers across five states and Washington, DC walked out to join the picket line.
The Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions said the walkout is planned to protest “unfair labor practices and unsafe staffing levels” at hundreds of Kaiser hospitals and facilities 6. The workers are demanding better pay and more robust staffing.
It remains to be seen how long this strike will last and what impact it will have on Kaiser Permanente’s operations.
