A five-day strike in California and Hawaii by thousands of unionized Kaiser Permanente registered nurses and other health professionals ended Sunday, with Kaiser and union officials agreeing to resume bargaining on Oct. 22-23, the health care company said.
Kaiser said its facilities were resuming normal operations.
“We are deeply grateful to our front-line care teams who leaned in to ensure the continuity of outstanding patient care last week. Our facilities were staffed by physicians, experienced managers, and trained staff, along with nearly 6,000 contracted nurses, clinicians, and others who worked with us during the strike,” Kaiser said in a statement Sunday morning.
The company added that the focus of the contract talks will be on economic issues.
“While the Alliance has publicly emphasized staffing and other concerns, wages are the reason for the strike and the primary issue in negotiations,” Kaiser said. “We recognize our employees’ hard work and have offered a strong contract proposal that includes 21.5% in total base wage increases over four years, and enhances their high-value medical plans and retiree benefits.”
Union officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Workers represented by the United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals began picketing at 7 a.m. Tuesday at locations across the region. Participating workers include registered nurses, pharmacists, nurse anesthetists, nurse practitioners, midwives, physician assistants, rehab therapists, speech language pathologists, dietitians and other specialty health-care professionals, according to the union.
“Our colleagues are leaving for better working conditions and pay — an average increase in pay of about 25 percent,” Jeff Cathcart, a certified registered nurse anesthetist working at Kaiser South San Francisco, said last week. Cathcart is also a member of his local bargaining team. “When we can’t retain and recruit enough staff, that leads to access issues for our patients. And that’s what we’re out here fighting for,” he said.
The Alliance initially sought a 38% wage increase over four years, but now seeks 25%, which Kaiser Permanente described as a figure “out of step with today’s economic realities and rising health care costs.”