Kaiser Strike Ends; 21.5% Offer, 30K Return

A planned five-day strike by roughly 30,000–31,000 Kaiser Permanente nurses and other health care workers across California, Oregon and Hawaii ended Oct. 19 after picketing at more than 500 hospitals and clinics, with employees returning to work and operations resuming. The unions, led by UNAC/UHCP and including the Oregon Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals, said the walkout was driven by uncompetitive wages, unfilled positions and unsafe staffing they say harm patient care. The Joint Commission issued new national staffing standards during the strike that elevate staffing to a patient-safety mandate, a development union leaders said will shape future contract talks. Kaiser said facilities were maintained by physicians, experienced managers and about 6,000 contracted clinicians and described wages as the primary issue while offering a proposal that includes a 21.5% total base-wage increase over four years. Both sides agreed to return to the bargaining table Oct. 28–29 to continue negotiations over wages, staffing and patient care, and union leaders vowed to press for enforceable staffing standards and fair pay.