Over 30,000 Kaiser Permanente Employees Resume Work After Five-Day Regional Strike

More than 30,000 unionized Kaiser Permanente employees, including registered nurses and other health professionals, ended a five-day strike across California, Oregon, and Hawaii and returned to work as negotiations with Kaiser resumed. The strike primarily centered on wages, with Kaiser offering a 21.5% total base wage increase over four years, alongside enhancements to medical plans and retiree benefits, while unions also emphasized safer staffing and patient care conditions. During the strike, Kaiser maintained operations through physicians, experienced managers, and nearly 6,000 contracted nurses and clinicians to minimize disruption to patient care. Union leaders highlighted a new regulatory shift recognizing safe staffing as a patient safety requirement, strengthening their position for upcoming bargaining scheduled for late October. Both sides agreed to continue negotiations focusing on economic issues and staffing, with unions expressing determination to prioritize patient safety and quality care. Kaiser underscored the challenge of balancing fair employee compensation with the need to keep healthcare affordable amid rising costs.