Over 75,000 Kaiser Permanente workers launch largest-ever health care strike

On Wednesday morning, over 75,000 Kaiser Permanente employees across five states launched the largest-ever health care worker strike.

Kaiser, the nation's biggest health care nonprofit, serves approximately 13 million patients at its 39 hospitals and 600 medical offices.

Workers chose to walk off the job after the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions and the health care company failed to resolve a disagreement regarding the staffing crisis. The unionized employees are demanding solutions to the staffing shortages, a 6.5% pay increase, protections against outsourcing and subcontractors, and a medical plan for retired staff.

The walkout impacts Kaiser workers in health care facilities in California, Colorado, Oregon, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. Employees who walked off the job include vocational nurses, emergency department technicians, radiology technicians, X-ray technicians, respiratory therapists, medical assistants, pharmacists, and others, according to CNBC.

Currently, the unions plan to end the strike and return to work on Saturday. However, negotiations between the unions and the health care provider are ongoing. The unions are considering a "longer, stronger" strike in November if the parties do not reach a deal.

Kaiser stated that it has a contingency plan to ensure patients continue to receive care and that its facilities remain open despite the massive walkout. Doctors are not striking, and Kaiser hired thousands of temporary workers, the Associated Press reported.

"Our hospitals and emergency departments will remain open. Our facilities will continue to be staffed by our physicians, trained and experienced managers, and staff, and in some cases we will augment with contingent workers," a Kaiser spokesperson told CNN.

The union's executive director, Caroline Lucas, told CNBC, "We continue to have front-line health-care workers who are burnt out and stretched to the max and leaving the industry."

"We have folks getting injured on the job because they're trying to do too much and see too many people and work too quickly. It's not a sustainable situation," Lucas added.

Kaiser acknowledged the stress that understaffing issues and burnout have placed on health care workers but called the unions' strike "bad faith bargaining," the outlet reported.

The company noted there had been "a lot of progress" on Tuesday evening regarding the negotiations, CNN reported.

"Bargaining between Kaiser Permanente and the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions is ongoing, and several agreements over specific provisions have been reached. Our team is available 24/7 to continue bargaining with the Coalition until we reach a fair and equitable agreement. We remain optimistic that there is still time to find agreement before any of the work stoppages called by the Coalition unions begin at 6 a.m. on Wednesday," the health care provider stated, according to KTLA.

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