Thousands of health care workers at Kaiser Permanente are preparing to strike, following a five-day notice issued by two unions in Hawaii. The UNITE HERE Local 5 and Hawaii Nurses and Healthcare Professionals announced that the strike will commence at 6:30 a.m. on October 14, 2023, after negotiations for a new contract stalled. The unions represent over 2,000 employees in various positions, including housekeeping, hospital aides, medical and lab assistants, pharmacy technicians, and dietary specialists.
Cade Watanabe, Financial Secretary Treasurer of Local 5, stated, “Our members are ready to take this next step if that is what it takes for Kaiser to recognize the value of Hawaii’s workers and the quality patient care we deliver every day.” He emphasized concerns that Kaiser pays its mainland workers more, despite the high cost of living in Hawaii.
The strike notice follows the expiration of the workers’ contract on Tuesday. Simultaneously, unions representing tens of thousands of workers in California, Oregon, and Washington also indicated their intent to strike. Negotiations have been ongoing since April but have stalled significantly over issues of staffing levels and wages.
Staffing and Wage Concerns Prompt Action
The unions assert that safe staffing is critical for both worker health and patient care quality. They argue that wages have not kept pace with Hawaii’s cost of living, with Kaiser workers in the state earning up to 30% less than their counterparts on the mainland. Kaiser has not issued a direct response to the strike notice but expressed disappointment regarding the unions’ vote to authorize a strike.
Kaiser has been negotiating in good faith with the Alliance of Health Care Unions, which includes Local 5 and HNHP. According to the company, their latest offer comprises significant wage increases of 20% over four years, including a historic first-year raise, and improved benefits. Kaiser has reached numerous tentative agreements on minimum wage adjustments, with the base wage in Hawaii currently set at $24 per hour.
In defense of their staffing practices, Kaiser stated that they have hired over 6,300 new employees since last year, 1,600 of whom are represented by the Alliance. The company claims its staffing approach is tailored to patient needs, allowing real-time adjustments to ensure quality care. “Our evidence-based staffing approach is tailored to patient needs and allows real-time adjustments, ensuring safer, more responsive care,” Kaiser noted.
Union Leaders Highlight Worker Challenges
Despite these assurances, union leaders are highlighting ongoing challenges faced by health care workers. Terilyn Carvalho Luke, President of HNHP, remarked, “Hawaii Alliance members continue to face staffing challenges post COVID that affect patient care and quality outcomes.” She pointed out that patient needs have increased, yet staffing ratios and workloads have not been adjusted accordingly.
The strike could become one of the largest among health care workers nationally. The United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals also submitted a strike notice to Kaiser, representing over 30,000 health professionals, including pharmacists, therapists, and certified nurse anesthetists in Hawaii. President Charmaine Morales emphasized that the strike aims to protect both patients and caregivers, urging Kaiser to invest in its workforce rather than expand projects in other states while neglecting staffing issues.
The Alliance represents a total of 62,000 Kaiser health professionals across 23 local unions and is concurrently working on a national bargaining agreement that will supplement each local contract. As negotiations continue, the situation remains tense, with the potential for widespread disruption in health care services should the strike proceed as planned.
