Kaiser Permanente Faces Open-Ended Strike as 31,000 Healthcare Workers Walk Off the Job

Nearly 31,000 Kaiser Permanente nurses and health care workers walked off the job Monday morning in an open-ended strike against the health system’s Pasadena regional headquarters, in what union leaders called a last resort after more than seven months of failed contract negotiations — the longest bargaining effort in the company’s national history.

The strike, which began at 7 a.m. at Kaiser Permanente hospitals and clinics across California and Hawaii, represents one of the largest healthcare labor actions in the state in recent years. The vast majority of striking workers — approximately 27,000 — are employed in Southern California, where Kaiser Permanente’s regional operations are headquartered on Walnut Street in Pasadena’s  civic center.

Unlike typical healthcare strikes, which are often limited to a few days to minimize patient disruption, this walkout has no predetermined end date. Workers have vowed to remain on picket lines until a contract agreement is reached.

“We’re not going on strike to make noise,” said Charmaine S. Morales, a registered nurse and president of the United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals, which represents the striking workers. “We’re striking because Kaiser has committed serious unfair labor practices and because Kaiser refuses to bargain in good faith over staffing that protects patients, workload standards that stop moral injury and the respect and dignity that Kaiser caregivers have been denied for far too long.”

The union has filed an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board, alleging that Kaiser Permanente walked away from the bargaining table in December and attempted to circumvent the agreed-upon national bargaining process.

Kaiser Permanente disputes that characterization, framing the strike as fundamentally a dispute over compensation despite what the company describes as its most generous contract offer ever.

“Despite the union’s claims, this strike is about wages,” said Camille Applin-Jones, senior vice president at Kaiser Permanente Southern California. “This open-ended strike by UNAC/UHCP is unnecessary when such a generous offer is on the table. The strike is designed to disrupt the lives of our patients — the very people we are all here to serve.”

The company has proposed a 21.5 percent wage increase over the life of the contract, with 16 percent coming within the first two years. When step increases and local market adjustments are factored in, Kaiser Permanente says the total average compensation increase would be approximately 30 percent — which the company calls one of the strongest nursing contract offers in California this year.

Kaiser Permanente also notes that its employees already earn, on average, about 16 percent more than workers in comparable roles at other healthcare organizations, and in some markets earn 24 percent more.

But union members say the dispute extends well beyond wages. Workers on the picket lines will focus on what they say is a growing crisis caused by Kaiser’s failure to invest in safe staffing levels, timely access to quality care, and fair wages for frontline caregivers.

The striking workers include not only registered nurses but also pharmacists, nurse anesthetists, nurse practitioners, midwives, physician assistants, rehabilitation therapists, speech language pathologists, dietitians, and laboratory professionals.

For Kaiser Permanente members in the Pasadena area and across Southern California, the healthcare system says it has contingency plans in place to maintain operations. Hospitals and nearly all medical offices will remain open during the strike, though some pharmacies will close. The company may need to reschedule some nonurgent appointments and elective surgeries, and some visits may be shifted to virtual care via phone, video, or online chat.

Kaiser Permanente has asked patients not to cancel scheduled appointments proactively, saying the company will contact them directly if rescheduling becomes necessary.

The company says its facilities will be staffed by physicians, experienced managers, and trained personnel, supplemented by licensed contract professionals. Kaiser Permanente noted that the majority of replacement nurses and clinicians being brought in have worked at Kaiser Permanente before, and that many of its employees have volunteered to be reassigned to strike locations.

The strike comes at a challenging moment for healthcare nationally. Kaiser noted in its statement that healthcare costs are rising and millions of Americans face the risk of losing access to coverage — pressures the company says underscore its responsibility to balance fair employee compensation with protecting affordability for its members.

“We hope our UNAC/UHCP union-represented employees will choose not to strike so we can resolve our differences at the bargaining table and remain focused on providing exceptional care to our members and patients,” Applin-Jones said.

In a notable development, the union recently agreed to return to local bargaining — a concession Kaiser Permanente had sought. But despite that agreement, union leaders elected to proceed with the strike, with their stated concerns about unfair labor practices and safe staffing levels unresolved.

“Striking is the lawful power of working people, and we are prepared to use it on behalf of our profession and patients,” Morales said.

Members seeking updates on care impacts during the strike can visit kp.org or access the Kaiser Permanente mobile app.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as the strike continues.