Kaiser Permanente Mental Health Workers Strike

Over 2,400 mental health workers at Kaiser Permanente in Southern California began an open-ended strike after failing to reach a labor agreement, marking the second such strike in two years. The National Union of Healthcare Workers (NUHW) demands improved wages, restored pensions, and more preparation time between patient appointments to enhance care quality. Kaiser claims it has proposed significant wage increases and investments in mental health care, but the union argues that working conditions remain insufficient, leading to staff turnover and inadequate patient care. Union representatives emphasize that the strike aims to address systemic issues in mental health services, echoing concerns raised during a previous strike in Northern California that yielded improvements. Kaiser, however, accuses the union of delaying negotiations and misrepresenting the situation. The strike highlights ongoing struggles within the mental health system, with growing employment demands in the sector amid a national mental health crisis.