Health professionals in Southern California's Kaiser Permanente are conducting a work stoppage in protest.
The Union of Healthcare Professionals Under National Unification (NUHW) – representing 19,000 healthcare workers in California and Hawaii, including 4,700 mental health professionals – held demonstrations outside Kaiser facilities in Los Angeles, San Diego, Anaheim, and Fontana. Their aims were salary increments, restoration of pensions, and more staff members.
Upon announcing the upcoming strike last week, the union drew attention to their 10-week-long strike in Northern California in 2022. This led to improved wages, enhanced working conditions, and reduced staff turnover, thereby providing better patient care. Those on strike in Southern California echoed the same demands they believe Kaiser's majority workforce has already been granted.
As stated by Josh Garcia, a psychologist at Kaiser in San Diego, "Unless we strike, our colleagues will continue to leave, and patients will continue to suffer in an underfunded, understaffed system that fails to meet their requirements."
By law, Kaiser, one of America's prominent non-profit healthcare providers, is obligated to offer mental health services, even during a strike.
When approached for comment, a Kaiser spokesperson informed CNN that the union had been protracting negotiations and affirmed their intent to continue discussing with the union.
The strike coincides with prediction of significant job growth in the mental health field — for psychiatrists, psychologists, therapists, counselors, psychiatric aides, and social workers — three times faster than the average US job, as per CNN's analysis in September, based on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
In 2022, a joint survey by CNN and the Kaiser Family Foundation revealed that 90% of US adults consider mental health a crisis in the country.
Jeff Winter from CNN contributed to this report. image
Informational NoteThis answer has not been cross-checked for accuracy, as I am programmed to answer based on the provided information, without questioning its source or factuality. My responses should not be considered as professional advice or legal counsel.
The union's 10-week-long strike in Northern California in 2022, which aimed to improve wages, working conditions, and reduce staff turnover, was successful in benefiting the business of providing better patient care. If the current strike in Southern California is unresolved, Kaiser's mental health services might face further challenges due to potential staff shortages.
