Kaiser Permanente leadership said its hospitals and offices will remain open but warned there may be some appointments or nonemergency procedures rescheduled, due to a notice of a national strike.
Negotiations with the United Nurses Associations of California and Union of Health Care Professionals appear to be at an impasse, despite seven months of negotiations, which Kaiser called the “longest in national bargaining history.”
The 10-day notice was received Friday.
Union leadership is calling for “31,000 Kaiser frontline registered nurses and health professionals to strike at more than two dozen hospitals and clinics across California and Hawaii,” according to a statement on its website.
The move prompted the health care providers’ pharmaceutical services to issue a caution to its customers:
“Due to a strike notice from some of our unions, please use our mail order delivery option for more convenient service. Shipping is free,” according to the alert. “For your convenience, we encourage you to pick up your prescriptions before Jan 26.”
Both sides issued contentious statements Tuesday, with Kaiser saying its unions are acting in the interest of wage increases, not patient care.
“In some cases, we are shifting appointments to virtual care (phone, video, e-chat) and may need to reschedule certain appointments, elective surgeries, and procedures. Our facilities will be staffed by physicians, experienced managers, and trained staff, with added licensed contract professionals as needed,” according to a posting on Kaiser’s website, which indicated 7,600 nurses, clinicians and other staff would be brought on to help out during the strike and most have worked at Kaiser Permanente before.
“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,” according to a statement from Camille Applin-Jones, senior vice president for Kaiser Permanente Southern California.
“This underscores our responsibility to deliver fair, competitive pay for employees while protecting access and affordability for our members. We’re doing both.”
The union has said its latest move comes after claims that Kaiser has mismanaged millions, and news of a $566 million settlement with the federal government over allegations of systemic fraud. Kaiser Permanente admitted no wrongdoing or liability in the settlement.
“The strike notice follows a new report released by UNAC/UHCP earlier (Friday) detailing Kaiser’s billions of dollars in reserves and questionable financial investments, while patients are being harmed by chronic understaffing and delayed access to care,” according to a statement posted on the union’s website. “As Kaiser — a tax-favored nonprofit — fails in its obligations to caregivers and patients, it is also focusing aggressively on expansion projects across the country, despite claims it cannot afford necessary staffing improvements and wage increases at home.”
