Kaiser healthcare worker strike ends, bargaining for fair wages continues

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Thousands of Kaiser Permanente nurses and healthcare professionals in Oregon and Southwest Washington are now back at work after their five-day strike ended Sunday morning.

The nurses, laboratory professionals, and other employees — such as cancer counselors, physical therapists, and mental health therapists — originally began the nationally-coordinated strike Tuesday, after asking Kaiser for safer staffing levels, fair wages, as well as a contract that outlines their workload.

According to the Oregon Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals (OFNHP), nearly 4,000 of their members had contracts end on Sept. 30. Meanwhile, several months of bargaining have led to a stalemate.

The strike in the Pacific Northwest came as thousands of other Kaiser healthcare workers also went on strike in California and Hawaii. These unions are all connected through the Alliance of Health Care Unions, which represents 23 local unions throughout the country.

During the strike, Kaiser onboarded contract nurses, clinicians, and other staff to keep those locations. They also reassigned a thousand employees from other locations.

According to the healthcare provider, they have agreed to resume bargaining with OFNHP on Oct. 22, with a primary focus on wages.

“At a time when the cost of health care continues to go up steeply, and millions of Americans are having to make the difficult choice to go without coverage, it’s critical that we keep quality, accessible health care coverage affordable – while attracting and retaining top talent and keeping Kaiser Permanente a great place to work and receive care. Our offer does all this,” Kaiser said in a statement.

Sarina Roher, president of OFNHP, also released a statement, noting this will be a “continuation of the fight for fairness.”

“The strike may be over, but our fight for our patients and for fairness in healthcare is far from finished. What this strike proved was the incredible unity and courage of Kaiser healthcare workers, standing together with our community, other labor unions and our elected officials.

Kaiser needs to come back to the table this week, ready to truly listen to the people who deliver the care. Our members’ clinical expertise is essential to safe, high-quality care, and they deserve to have a real voice in how that care is provided.

Kaiser cannot fix its staffing and access crisis without competitive wages that retain and recruit the skilled professionals our patients depend on. Without that, wait times grow longer, outcomes worsen and the quality of care will suffer.

It’s time for Kaiser to work with us, not against us, to meet this moment with the respect, fairness and real partnership that Oregon and Southwestern Washington patients and healthcare workers deserve.”

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