Overview
- Kaiser's walkout spans California, Hawaii, Oregon and Southwest Washington in a coordinated action by multiple unions including UNAC/UHCP and OFNHP.
- Kaiser says it is keeping facilities open by shifting some care to virtual visits, rescheduling elective appointments and onboarding up to 7,600 temporary staff.
- Negotiations remain apart on wages, with Kaiser offering 21.5% over four years and the union pushing for 25%, a gap Kaiser estimates at roughly $300 million annually by the end of the contract.
- Union leaders frame the dispute around patient safety and chronic understaffing, citing Kaiser’s $67.4 billion in reserves and high executive pay to argue the system can invest more in frontline care.
- The limited-duration strike began Tuesday at 7 a.m. and is scheduled to conclude Sunday at 7 a.m., marking one of the year’s largest labor actions in U.S. healthcare.