More than 40,000 Kaiser Permanente healthcare workers began a strike Tuesday morning across the West Coast. The strike marks the largest action in the history of the union representing the workers, the United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals (UNAC/UHCP). Over 500 hospitals across the West Coast – mainly in California, Oregon and Hawaii – are affected by the walkout, including several in the Los Angeles area. Of the union's 46,000 striking members, a total of 31,000 are California-based. They include registered nurses, pharmacists, nurse anesthetists, nurse practitioners, midwives, physician assistants, rehab therapists, speech language pathologists, dietitians and other specialty healthcare professionals. Kaiser Permanente alleges that the walkout is 'unnecessary and disruptive,' while countering that the healthcare giant has made a 'strong, comprehensive offer' to the union. The statement added that up to 7,600 nurses, clinicians and other staff will be onboarded to work during the strike. Additionally, over 1,000 Kaiser employees are said to have volunteered to be reassigned to work in strike-affected facilities. Last year, thousands of mental health workers at SoCal Kaiser Permanente hospitals went on strike over wages, pension restoration and allowances for more time with patients. In 2023, Kaiser Permanente workers staged the largest healthcare walkout in U.S. history, when more than 75,000 workers took to the picket lines.
In a social media landscape shaped by hashtags, algorithms, and viral posts, nurse leaders must decide: Will they let the narrative spiral, or can they adapt and join the conversation?
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