Kaiser Permanente workers took to the streets Tuesday morning to mark the start of their five-day strike for better wages and safer staffing ratios.
Nearly 2,000 health care workers in Hawai’i join tens of thousands of their colleagues on the continent who are also striking at their respective facilities.
The official strike notice, sent last week by Unite Here! Local 5 and Hawaii Nurses and Healthcare Professionals, said that workers in the continental U.S. make up to 30% more than workers in Hawaiʻi, adding that unsafe staffing ratios put patients’ health at risk.
Matthew Piskura, a home health physical therapist with the Alliance of Health Care Unions (Alliance), said that fair wages and better treatment of workers will improve patient care.
“I think as we fight together side by side, if we elevate fair wages for our group, that will help elevate the entire community,” Piskura said. “The concept of corporate ‘fair’ is defined by the bosses and then there’s community fair, which we are fighting for, and I think our definition is closer to the truth.”
Kaiser Permanente said in a statement that it has tried to negotiate wages and terms with its workers since May. Kaiser said a strike is “unnecessary and disruptive.”
“Despite our strong economic offer, Alliance bargaining has stalled over wages, and the unions have chosen to strike. While this strike is disappointing and unnecessary, we are prepared to resume negotiations after the strike to reach an agreement that balances fair pay for our employees with our obligations to deliver high-quality, affordable care,” Kaiser wrote.
Thousands of Kaiser workers’ contracts expired at the end of September, which some strikers said motivated the timing of the strike.
Kaiser’s latest offer would provide a new contract with a 21.5% increase in wages over the next four years, but Alliance said it believes the offer does not properly consider inflation and the high cost of living. Similar unions, like the Union of Health Care Professionals, urged members not to “be fooled” by the offer.
“It does not ... acknowledge the working conditions and burnout members are experiencing as a result of the severe staffing crisis in health care. Our members deserve an agreement that truly values their work and KP patients and protects their families and communities,” Alliance said in a statement.
Kaiser said it is onboarding more than 7,000 nurses, clinicians, and other staff to work during the strike, as well as reassigning current workers to work in strike locations.
“We remain committed to bargaining in good faith for a fair agreement that balances fair pay with high-quality, affordable care. We will continue providing the care our members rely on while honoring employees and protecting patients,” Kaiser said in a statement.
The strike is scheduled to end Sunday.
