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Tens of thousands of AFSCME members who work for Kaiser Permanente in California — members of the United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals (UNAC/UHCP) — are standing up for better patient care.
On Tuesday, they and thousands of other health care workers who are part of the Alliance of Health Care Unions went on a historic strike to demand safe staffing, fair pay and benefits, and to protect patient care. The strike, which is expected to last five days at multiple Kaiser locations, is the largest in UNAC/UHCP’s 50-year history.
“Our fight is about dignity, respect and a voice for those who dedicate their lives to patient care. We came to the table in good faith, but management has stonewalled us,” said Charmaine S. Morales, RN, President of UNAC/UHCP. “Being on the line is a sacrifice, but real change takes courage. We’re standing firm so our members have the resources to provide the care patients deserve.”
UNAC/UHCP represents 41,000 registered nurses and front-line health care professionals in California and Hawaii – 31,000 of whom work at Kaiser Permanente. They include physician assistants, certified nurse midwives, pharmacists, physical therapists, speech-language pathologists, and more. They are striking to address real problems involving patient care, including:
- Scheduling appointments in a sensible, patient-focused way;
- Ensuring fair pay for health care workers;
- And giving caregivers a real voice in decisions that affect patients and their health.
AFSCME President Lee Saunders on Tuesday spoke to the striking workers, pointing out the hypocrisy of Kaiser management and executives.
“You know how much they’ve got in their reserves?” he asked. “$64 billion. How much do they pay their top executives? $12 million a year. Yet the people who provide the services, who take care of the patients, are struggling every single day. We aren’t taking it anymore! We don’t ask for respect. We demand respect. That is why you’re here today.”
The strike follows months of negotiations between the unions and Kaiser Permanente, including mediation in recent weeks. While the unions have come prepared to the table and negotiated in good faith, Kaiser has engaged in deceptive communications and insisted on drastic cuts in pay, pensions, and other retirement benefits. They have shown up for bargaining sessions unprepared and unwilling to talk about substantive issues.
“I’m here on the line because our patients deserve the quality of care that Kaiser promised them,” said Nick Partida, an emergency room nurse at Kaiser Orange County-Irvine Medical Center and a member of UNAC/UHCP.
“In an emergency room it’s a matter of life and death at times. We don’t have the time to try to find the resources and staff, which is a very common occurrence in our department – that we’re not adequately staffed to get these things done.”
Saunders offered the workers words of encouragement and said AFSCME’s members nationwide stand behind them.
“You belong to a union of 1.4 million members across this country,” he said. “I am here saying whatever you need to win this strike, you have got it. We’re going to fight like hell with you and stand with you every single day. You deserve fair pay for what you do. We are not taking this sitting down. We’re going to stand up!”