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Kaiser Permanente nurses to enter second week of strike Updated.
Second wave
The second wave of strikes against Kaiser is beginning to take shape.
More than 3,000 pharmacy and lab workers with the United Food and Commercial Workers union in Southern California said Thursday that they would join the strike beginning Feb. 9 — unless an accord is reached.
“We’ve had a broken health care system for a long, long time,” said Kathy Finn, president of UFCW Local 770, which represents parts of Los Angeles, Kern, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties. “They call themselves a nonprofit, but their goal, just like any other huge corporation, is to bring in a lot of money and premiums and then scrimp on what they give out in care. They don’t act any different from any other big corporation.”
Also see: Kaiser laying off 216 workers, deepening tensions amid nurses’ labor talks
Until the strike is settled, union nurses with Kaiser will cut back on spending as they venture into week two.
Nick Partida, a Kaiser Irvine emergency room registered nurse with the Kaiser Orange County Professional Association, which oversees interests of 2,800 nurses and others at the bargaining table, plans to park his gas-guzzling pickup truck at home and drive his fuel-efficient Honda Accord instead.
He’ll do penny-pinching where he can, but rely on his disability pension as a Marine veteran who deployed to Iraq in 2009, and his wife’s income as an underwriting manager at a local credit union.
“We’re cutting out restaurants,” said Partida, who is in the strike for the long haul. “We have decided that they are making priorities in profits over patients in the community that we serve.”
More than 3,000 pharmacy and lab workers with the United Food and Commercial Workers union in Southern California said Thursday that they would join the strike beginning Feb. 9 — unless an accord is reached.
“We’ve had a broken health care system for a long, long time,” said Kathy Finn, president of UFCW Local 770, which represents parts of Los Angeles, Kern, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties. “They call themselves a nonprofit, but their goal, just like any other huge corporation, is to bring in a lot of money and premiums and then scrimp on what they give out in care. They don’t act any different from any other big corporation.”
Also see: Kaiser laying off 216 workers, deepening tensions amid nurses’ labor talks
Until the strike is settled, union nurses with Kaiser will cut back on spending as they venture into week two.
Nick Partida, a Kaiser Irvine emergency room registered nurse with the Kaiser Orange County Professional Association, which oversees interests of 2,800 nurses and others at the bargaining table, plans to park his gas-guzzling pickup truck at home and drive his fuel-efficient Honda Accord instead.
He’ll do penny-pinching where he can, but rely on his disability pension as a Marine veteran who deployed to Iraq in 2009, and his wife’s income as an underwriting manager at a local credit union.
“We’re cutting out restaurants,” said Partida, who is in the strike for the long haul. “We have decided that they are making priorities in profits over patients in the community that we serve.”
The nurse's union has no strike fund, so the strikers are on their own...
https://www.ocregister.com/2026/01/30/nurses-dig-into-rainy-day-funds-to-keep-kaiser-strike-going/
and UPDATE
ONTARIO, Calif. (KABC) -- A strike involving Kaiser Permanente nurses and health care workers moved into its second week Monday, as union members and supporters rallied outside the Ontario facility.
Tens of thousands of Kaiser Permanente health care workers across California and Hawaii walked off the job last week in a strike over safe staffing levels, fair compensation and timely care for patients.
The striking workers are members of the United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals (UNAC/UHCP).
"We're fighting for our patients, we're fighting for safe staffing, we are fighting because this workload that falls on our health care providers' shoulders is so heavy," said ICU nurse Nicole Jimenez, a member of the union's bargaining team.
Union leaders argue wages haven't kept up with inflation and chronic understaffing is delaying care and putting patients at risk.
"A lot of our patients are experiencing a delay getting to see their primary doctor. So, these patients end up in the emergency department and in our urgent care," said urgent care nurse Jennifer Cabrera.
The union is seeking a 25% wage increase over four years, saying nurses in Southern California earn at least 7% less than their peers in other regional hospitals.
Tens of thousands of Kaiser Permanente health care workers across California and Hawaii walked off the job last week in a strike over safe staffing levels, fair compensation and timely care for patients.
The striking workers are members of the United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals (UNAC/UHCP).
"We're fighting for our patients, we're fighting for safe staffing, we are fighting because this workload that falls on our health care providers' shoulders is so heavy," said ICU nurse Nicole Jimenez, a member of the union's bargaining team.
Union leaders argue wages haven't kept up with inflation and chronic understaffing is delaying care and putting patients at risk.
"A lot of our patients are experiencing a delay getting to see their primary doctor. So, these patients end up in the emergency department and in our urgent care," said urgent care nurse Jennifer Cabrera.
The union is seeking a 25% wage increase over four years, saying nurses in Southern California earn at least 7% less than their peers in other regional hospitals.
https://abc7.com/post/kaiser-permanente-strike-nurses-enter-2nd-week-staffing-wages/18530682/]
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