In abstract
The strike is the second in somewhat greater than two years by California psychological well being employees at Kaiser Permanente. The final one lasted 10 weeks.
Greater than 2,400 Kaiser Permanente psychological well being care employees in Southern California started a strike this morning and established picket traces at places from Los Angeles to San Diego, marking the second strike amongst Kaiser therapists in somewhat greater than two years.
Psychological well being employees represented by the Nationwide Union of Healthcare Staff ready for the strike over the weekend after declining Kaiser’s phrases on Friday.
Kaiser in a written assertion stated it’s notifying sufferers whose appointments could possibly be affected by the strike. “Patients will have the opportunity to be seen by another professional in our extensive network of highly qualified, licensed therapists, if their regular provider is engaged in a strike,” the assertion learn.
The earlier strike in 2022 amongst psychological well being clinicians in Northern California lasted 10 weeks and led to a dedication from Kaiser to rent extra therapists and to offer workers particular work hours away from face-to-face affected person care.
Southern California Kaiser employees now are asking for extra time in between appointments to arrange for sufferers. In addition they need wage enhance and a pension profit that the corporate offers to its Northern California clinicians.
“It’s pretty simple,” stated psychological social employee William Johnson, a union steward who serves on the bargaining committee. “We’re looking for the same three top priorities that Kaiser already said ‘Yes’ to for our Northern California mental healthcare workers.”
Johnson stated his present workload contains seeing 32 to 35 sufferers every week in one-hour classes.
Kaiser launched a press release in response to the union’s plans to strike, saying, “unfortunately this comes as no surprise, as this seems to have been their intention all along.”
The corporate has provided wage will increase amounting to 18% over 4 years and a lot of different perks, in keeping with the assertion. Kaiser representatives stated they’ve invested greater than a billion {dollars} increasing psychological well being capabilities in California and elevated the variety of licensed psychological well being clinicians in Southern California by 30% over the previous 4 years.
However union members say turnover has been an issuewith 1 / 4 of therapists employed between January 2021 and August 2024 leaving their jobs.
“Kaiser leadership has consistently been dismissive whenever we voice our concerns or experiences,” stated Johnson. “They like to tell us things like, ‘We get that it’s not ideal,’ and they also add, ‘But it works for us.’”
Jared Garcia, one other union steward on the bargaining committee, stated he’s hoping the strike lasts lower than a month, however he’s ready to see it go on so long as it takes.
“Scabs aren’t going to work,” stated Garcia. “Kaiser knows the limitations of finding mental health professionals – let alone to replace 2,400 of our union members at this time.”
A yr in the past, Kaiser entered right into a $200 million settlement settlement with the state of California, agreeing to pay a $50 million superb and make investments one other $150 million over 5 years to handle delays in behavioral well being appointments.
