Workers say that hospital executives are refusing to fix dire understaffing issues.
by Sharon Zhang, Truthout
Over 75,000 health care workers for Kaiser Permanente hospitals across the country began striking on Wednesday morning, launching what the union says is the largest health care strike in U.S. history after workers’ contract expired on Saturday with no new agreement in place.
The striking workers are largely concentrated in California, though thousands of workers have also walked out in Oregon, Washington and Colorado for a planned three-day strike. Meanwhile, roughly 400 workers in Washington, D.C. and Virginia are walking out for one day. Striking employees include vocational nurses, emergency department, X-ray and radiology technicians, sonographers, pharmacists, and more.
Like workers in many other recent health care strikes, Kaiser workers are frustrated with issues of understaffing, saying that Kaiser management seems to neglect patient care in favor of profits. Employees have reported being overworked and unable to properly address all of their patients’ concerns due to high patient loads and strict time constraints.
“Kaiser executives are refusing to listen to us and are bargaining in bad faith over the solutions we need to end the Kaiser short-staffing crisis,” Jessica Cruz, a licensed vocational nurse for Kaiser Los Angeles Medical Center, said in a statement.
Recent Posts
First Ceasefire, Then Palestinian Liberation
Take Action Now Trump’s deal does nothing to address the root cause of injustice: Israel’s brutal military rule and oppression of Palestinians.By…
A Movement-Based Opposition To Trump And MAGA
Take Action Now In the absence of adequate resistance in the electoral arena, an alliance of popular movements is functioning as the primary…
‘I’m Terrified I’ll Die’: Bernie Sanders Unveils Report On Healthcare Devastation Looming For American Families
Take Action Now The Sanders report concludes by not only vowing to reverse the Republican healthcare cuts, but to “work to end the international…
Can The Trump-Netanyahu Gaza Plan Deliver A Durable Political Settlement?
Take Action Now The Trump–Netanyahu Gaza Plan, presented on 29 September 2025, promises humanitarian relief, Israeli withdrawal, and Gaza’s…