Massive Kaiser Permanente strike ends, though contracts are still being finalized

Over 30,000 Kaiser Permanente nurses and other non-physician clinical workers are back on the job this week following a protracted labor dispute with the large nonprofit over contract terms—though they've made it clear there's still some lingering resentment between the sides as they work to finalize their agreements. 

The United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals' (UNAC/UHCP's) walk-off began Jan. 26 and spanned several hospitals and other facilities in California and Hawaii. The workers have been without a contract since the end of September, and in September had joined others for a five-day strike to increase pressure on the system. 

Wages and staffing level protections were the crux of the dispute, but negotiations took a turn for the worse in December when Kaiser accused a union negotiator of using unspecified evidence of “illegal, unethical and reputationally damaging” conduct as a bargaining chip. UNAC/UHCP contested the claim and filed an unfair labor practice charge stating that the system was using the issue to avoid bargaining. 

The union described its work stoppage as "the largest open-ended strike of registered nurses and healthcare professionals in United States history."  

Kaiser, on Monday, outlined plans for the workers to return to their posts over a staggered, three-day period "given the size and scale of the strike."

"Our priority as we finalize schedules and plans to resume normal operations is to ensure that we do so in an orderly way that protects patient and employee safety and supports access for our members and patients," Greg Holmes, executive vice president and chief human resources officer, said in the notice.

Bargaining still continues at local tables despite the return as the sides finalize language in their contracts. UNAC/UHCP said, in Monday and Tuesday statements, that it decided to move forward after winning key terms for those to-be-finalized contracts: a 21.5% across-the-board wage increase and "a broader package that includes real gains on safe staffing, recruitment and retention." 

However, releases from the union retained a combative tone. Leadership emphasized that the strike's stakes included "its refusal to bargain in good faith on the staffing issues" and that members "will be vigilant" to ensure staffing terms are enforced. 

“We are back inside Kaiser facilities today. Our eyes are open and our commitment to our patients has never been stronger,” Charmaine Morales, president of UNAC/UHCP, said. “We went up against a $76 billion organization that tried to silence us with money while ignoring safety. We didn't let that happen. We won real protections for our patients, and we will enforce every single one of them. Kaiser now knows that this union is not going away, and that the health care professionals who keep this system running will always put patients first.”

Feb. 9

Kaiser Permanente strike grows as pharmacy, lab workers join picket lines

More Kaiser Permanente employees have joined tens of thousands of others in a strike now entering its third week. 

About 30,000 non-physician clinical workers represented by The United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals (UNAC/UHCP) have been off the job since Jan. 26. On the morning of Feb. 9, more than 3,000 additional California pharmacy employees and clinical lab scientists who are members of the the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) joined them.

Both groups have been without a contract, and said they launched open-ended unfair labor practice strikes because the health system's management "chose to break from the agreed upon national bargaining process, walk away from negotiations, and violate federal labor law," UFCW said in a Sunday bargaining update. 

UFCW added that the combined efforts of the two groups "sends a clear message that frontline healthcare workers will not be sidelined or silenced."

UNAC/UHCP, in a Feb. 9 release, said its members will be joining the UFCW locals in their first day of picketing, and noted that "pharmacies and laboratories are short-staffed, patients feel the impact immediately: delayed medications, delayed test results, and delayed clinical decisions—all of which can compromise care."

Greg Holms, executive vice president and chief human resources officer, said in a Feb. 6 message to union employees that Kaiser intends to honor the national bargaining agreement and had contacted local unions to set up bargaining sessions, but that "unfortunately, we have heard back from very few with proposed bargaining dates." 

"Despite these unions’ focus on strikes, we are focused on reaching sustainable agreements that reward our employees while keeping high-quality care affordable for our members," he said of UNAC/UHCP and UFCW. 

In a statement to press, the health system said the UFCW strike will force some pharmacy and lab closures.

Jan. 26

Roughly 30,000 Kaiser Permanente healthcare workers launch open-ended strike

This morning, tens of thousands of workers at over two dozen Kaiser Permanente hospitals and hundreds of clinics launched an open-ended strike.

The nurses, physician assistants, pharmacists and other care professionals represented by The United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals (UNAC/UHCP) have been without a contract since the end of September, when they and others launched a five-day strike intended to raise public awareness of their demands over staffing levels and pay.

UNAC/UHCP places the number of demonstrating workers at 31,000, whereas statements from Kaiser describe "nearly 30,000" professionals. They are employed in California and Hawaii. 

Of note, discussions between the union and Kaiser's management hit a roadblock in December when the nonprofit integrated health system accused a union negotiator of using unspecified evidence of “illegal, unethical and reputationally damaging” conduct as a bargaining chip. The union has denied the allegation, and filed an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board alleging that Kaiser is using the issue to avoid labor negotiations.

The conduct allegations have continued into the strike's launch. In releases and statements, UNAC/UHCP said Kaiser has been intimidating workers from exercising their right to strike in internal messaging.

“Kaiser’s own communications to employees reveal exactly why we are striking,” Charmaine S. Morales, RN, UNAC/UHCP president, said in a statement. “Instead of addressing unsafe staffing and patient care concerns, Kaiser is issuing messages that pressure workers not to strike, exaggerate the risks of participation and encourage employees to report one another. That is intimidation.”

Alongside increased staffing, the union has called for increased wages and pension benefits for those who do not have them. 

Kaiser, in its most recent Jan. 25 statement, said its hospitals and "nearly all of our medical offices" will remain open during the "unnecessary" strike. Some appointments, elective surgeries and procedures may need to be rescheduled, it said, while others will be substituted for a virtual care encounter. 

The system reiterated its longstanding offer of a 21.5% wage increase over the life of the new contract, which it said contributes to an "approximately 30%" total average increase when including step increases and local adjustments. 

"These negotiations come at a time when health care costs are rising, and millions of Americans are at risk of losing access to health coverage," the statement reads. "This underscores our responsibility to deliver fair, competitive pay for employees while protecting access and affordability for our members. We’re doing both."

Kaiser also said it has been informed that UNAC/UHCP has agreed to return to local bargaining "where we look forward to being able to finalize new contracts for our employees and their families."

Jan. 16

Kaiser Permanente healthcare workers set Jan. 26 for open-ended strike

Kaiser Permanente is staring down the barrel of a 31,000-worker strike across more than two dozen hospitals and numerous clinics.

The United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals (UNAC/UHCP), which represents the workers, said it delivered a 10-day strike notice on Thursday to the integrated nonprofit’s management, setting the stage for a Jan. 26 walkoff in California and Hawaii.

The workers have been without a contract since the end of September. UNAC/UHCP members and others in the broader Alliance of Health Care Unions—a coalition of 23 local unions—launched a five-day strike shortly after to pressure the system and raise public awareness around its primary argument for increased staffing levels.

The impending open-ended strike similarly highlights the workers’ demands for increased staffing, increased wages and pension benefits for those who do not have them. Addressing these, they said, would increase patient safety, ensure prompt delivery of care, prevent burnout and improve workers’ economic stability.

“We’re not going on strike to make noise,” Charmaine Morales, president of UNAC/UHCP, said in a release. “We’re authorizing a strike to win staffing that protects patients, win workload standards that stop moral injury, and win the respect and dignity Kaiser has denied for far too long.”

Workers represented in the union include nurses, pharmacists, physician assistants, dietitians and other types of specialty care professionals. Most work in California.

Negotiations froze in December

In addition to the contract demands, the union said its members decided to support a strike in order to secure “respect at the bargaining table.” In statements and messages to members, the union has said Kaiser often delayed responding to bargaining proposals for weeks and months.

Months of talks between the parties over a new contract broke down further when Kaiser made a “difficult decision” to pause bargaining in mid-December.

In a statement and video, Chief Human Resources Officer Greg Holmes said that a union leader—subsequently identified as UNAC/UHCP Executive Director Joe Guzynski—had suggested in a meeting that he had evidence of “illegal, unethical and reputationally damaging” conduct that could remain under wraps if the parties reached an acceptable deal. Kaiser requested the evidence so that it could investigate and correct any wrongdoing; however, the threat “undermined both parties’ ability to continue good faith bargaining,” Holmes said.

UNAC/UHCP has said that the accusations against Guzynski are false and that the system is “using a bargaining-related conversation as an excuse” to walk away from discussions. Shortly after Kaiser’s decision, the union filed an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board, alleging that the accusation and pause is an attempt “to bypass the agreed-upon national bargaining process and interfere with good-faith negotiations that have been underway since May 2025.”

Kaiser, in a Jan.15 statement, said there has been “no material movement on key economic issues for months” and that since the pause, UNAC/UHCP “has refused to resolve the matter as requested.” The system said it stands by its historic offer of a 21.5% wage increase over the length of the contract and again offered to move forward on the remaining open contract items in negotiations with union locals, as opposed to national bargaining.

“Local bargaining has continued to move forward, even during the pause at the national table, and we have resolved all local issues at 29 of 53 local union tables to date,” the statement reads. “We believe this is momentum we can all build on.”

UNAC/UHCP, also on Jan. 15, released a report titled “Profits Over Patients” that highlights the $7.9 billion of net income reported by Kaiser across its most recent three quarters. The report points to recent spending, operational and governance practices the union said run counter to its nonprofit mission, and includes a section on “Kaiser’s attack on its employees” that focuses on labor negotiation breakdowns and the resulting strike and service disruptions.

“Kaiser can end this whenever they choose by coming back to the table and bargaining in good faith,” Morales said in the strike announcement. “Until they do, we are done waiting. Striking is the lawful power of working people, and we are prepared to use it on behalf of our profession and patients.”