IN SUMMARY
That is the second strike carried out by Kaiser Permanente psychological well being employees in California in simply over two years. The final one lasted 10 weeks.
In abstract
It’s the second strike by Kaiser Permanente psychological well being employees in California in simply over two years.
Learn this story in English
Greater than 2,400 Kaiser Permanente psychological well being employees in Southern California started a strike this morning, organising sit-in traces in places from Los Angeles to San Diego, marking the second strike amongst Kaiser therapists in simply over two years.
Psychological well being employees represented by the Nationwide Union of Well being Care Staff ready to strike over the weekend after rejecting Kaiser’s phrases on Friday.
In a written assertion, Kaiser mentioned it’s notifying sufferers whose appointments may very well be affected by the strike. “Patients will have the opportunity to be seen by another professional from our extensive network of highly qualified and licensed therapists if their usual provider is on strike,” the assertion reads.
The earlier strike in 2022 between psychological well being clinicians in Northern California lasted 10 weeks and led to a dedication Kaiser to rent extra therapists and giving workers particular work hours outdoors of in-person affected person care.
Kaiser employees in Southern California are actually asking for extra time between appointments to arrange for sufferers. In addition they need a pay improve and a pension profit that the corporate provides its Northern California medical doctors.
“It’s pretty simple,” mentioned psychological social employee William Johnson, a union steward who sits on the bargaining committee. “We are pursuing the same top three priorities that Kaiser already said ‘Yes’ to for our Northern California mental health care workers.”
Johnson mentioned his present workload contains seeing 32 to 35 sufferers every week in one-hour classes.
Kaiser issued a press release in response to the union’s plans to strike, saying, “unfortunately this does not come as a surprise, as this appears to have been their intention all along.”
The corporate has supplied wage will increase amounting to 18% over 4 years and a number of different advantages, in accordance with the assertion. Kaiser representatives mentioned they’ve invested greater than $1 billion in increasing psychological well being capabilities in California and have elevated the variety of licensed psychological well being clinicians in Southern California by 30% lately. 4 years.
However union members say rotation has been an issueand {that a} quarter of therapists employed between January 2021 and August 2024 have left their jobs.
“Kaiser leaders have always been dismissive when we expressed our concerns or experiences,” Johnson mentioned. “They like to tell us things like, ‘We understand it’s not ideal,’ and they also add, ‘But it works for us.’”
Jared Garcia, one other union steward on the bargaining committee, mentioned he expects the strike to final lower than a month, however is ready for it to proceed so long as obligatory.
“Scabs are not going to work,” García mentioned. “Kaiser knows the limitations there are in finding mental health professionals, let alone replacing 2,400 of our union members right now.”
A yr in the past, Kaiser signed an settlement settlement settlement for 200 million {dollars} with the state of California, agreeing to pay a $50 million advantageous and make investments one other $150 million over 5 years to deal with delays in behavioral well being appointments.
- This text was initially revealed in English by CalMatters.