SPOKANE, Wash. — Nearly every single Kaiser Permanente worker in Washington state made it clear: they are ready and willing to strike.
On Friday morning, 99% of Kaiser Permanente Washington workers voted to authorize a strike if a contract deal isn't reached by Oct. 31, 2023. The employees are covered by the national contract, which was tentatively approved overnight on Thursday, but they intend to ask for more in their state contract.
The three-day strike last week involving 75,000 workers in multiple states officially ended last Saturday and workers returned to their jobs in Kaiser’s hospitals and clinics that serve nearly 13 million Americans. The strike for three days in California, Colorado, Oregon and Washington was a last resort after Kaiser executives allegedly ignored the short-staffing crisis worsened by the coronavirus pandemic, union officials said.
If workers do strike, it will start anytime after Nov. 1 and end Nov. 8. The strike will also include 3,000 Kaiser Permanente Washington workers.
The union health care workers said their wages are too far behind other Washington health care facilities. Jane Hopkins, a nurse and president of Service Employees International Union (SEIU) 1199 NW, said Washington is 20-30% behind the wages of the state’s other health care providers already.
“We’re proud of the agreement we’ve reached nationally, but Kaiser Permanente Washington healthcare workers are still fighting for a contract that protects Washington workers and patients,” Hopkins said. “The staffing crisis in Washington means Kaiser needs to do more here than a phased-in wage increase. We need to catch up and keep up. We are calling on Kaiser executives to reach a new contract with our 3,000 members that urgently addresses the issues we’re facing in Washington in time to avert a strike.”
Despite the tentative national contract, workers believe it isn't enough.
"My nursing colleagues can make $10-$20 more an hour at any other institution in this region," said Jessica Wolfe, a nurse in Seattle. "We cannot recruit staff and we cannot retain staff."
Marie Neumayer, a medical assistant in Spokane, said new state legislation about safe staffing doesn't apply to Kaiser Permanente workers because their facilities are considered clinics. She said part of bargaining is to fight for safe staffing to be involved in executive decisions.
“Healthcare workers like myself and my colleagues see a strike as an absolute last resort,” Neumayer said. “We want to take care of our patients. But we see this as a needed response to Kaiser Washington executives' unwillingness to reach a fair contract that addresses workers' concerns and prioritizes patient care.”
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