More than 31,000 Kaiser Permanente health care workers remain on strike as the open-ended walkout extends into its fourth week, disrupting patient appointments, surgeries, and treatments across California and Hawaii. The strike, which began on January 26, was launched by the United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals (UNAC/UHCP) — a union representing nurses, physical therapists, midwives, and other health professionals. It marks the first time the union’s members have ever walked off the job.
Bargaining teams for Kaiser and striking workers have resumed negotiations following weeks of stalemate, but no agreement appears imminent. This latest labor dispute follows a 10-week mental health worker strike in 2022 and a 2023 dispute that required mediation by the then-U.S. Secretary of Labor.
Wage Dispute at the Core
The central issue driving the strike is a significant gap between what workers are demanding and what Kaiser has offered. The union is seeking a 25% wage increase over four years, citing the need to retain and recruit qualified employees while accounting for steep inflationary pressures. Kaiser, on the other hand, has proposed a 21.5% increase over the same period, arguing its employees are already among the highest-paid in the health care industry.
In a statement, a Kaiser spokesperson said: “This underscores our responsibility to deliver fair, competitive pay for employees while protecting access and affordability for our members. We’re doing both.”
Kaiser has acknowledged it can afford the 21.5% increase without raising member premiums but warns it cannot guarantee the same under the union’s proposal. The company estimates its own wage proposal would cost approximately $2 billion, while the union’s demand would add an additional $1 billion.
Union leaders argue Kaiser can afford broader wage increases given its $66 billion in reserves and financial rebound — posting net income of $12.9 billion in 2024 and $9.3 billion the following year, after a $4.5 billion loss in 2022. Kaiser counters that reserves are meant for long-term commitments and emergencies, and that using them for payroll would be “financially irresponsible.”
Workers also accuse Kaiser of violating staffing agreements and undermining patient care quality — allegations Kaiser firmly denies.
Inflation and Fairness Drive Worker Demands
Joe Guzynski, executive director for UNAC/UHCP, explained that union members last signed a contract with Kaiser in 2021 — before inflation peaked at around 8% in 2022. Some local units chose not to bargain during the COVID-19 pandemic to avoid disruption and, as a result, missed out on inflation-adjusted raises that other major Kaiser unions received after 2022.
“What we’re asking for is the same deal. Everybody else got to deal with inflation,” Guzynski said. “It’s really about restoring fairness.”
The union’s latest contract expired in September of last year, leaving members without updated terms as living costs continue to rise.
Nurse Midwives Fight for First Contracts
The strike also brings attention to three newly unionized groups of Northern California employees bargaining for their first-ever contracts: certified nurse midwives, certified registered nurse anesthetists, and physician assistants. Kaiser has proposed cutting retirement and medical benefits for these groups, freezing wages for current employees, and reducing pay for new hires.
Brian Mason, lead negotiator for the nurse midwives, noted that the financial gap between the two sides is relatively small. “We’re a few hundreds of thousands of dollars apart and that’s like being $10 apart for the common person,” he said.
Nurse midwives deliver 80% of vaginal births across Kaiser’s Northern California hospitals. Their work is associated with fewer cesarean sections, reduced maternal complications, and greater patient satisfaction — and is more cost-effective than physician-led care for low-risk births. Emily Hardy, a certified nurse midwife at Redwood City Medical Center with 15 years of experience, called the strike a painful “last resort” after two years of failed negotiations.
“To hear ‘we want to lower retirement and keep wages stagnant’ does not tell me that you value us,” Hardy said.
Patients Face Widespread Disruptions Across California
Kaiser is California’s largest health care provider, serving more than 9 million patients, and the state’s largest private employer. The strike has caused cascading disruptions — cancelled chemotherapy sessions, postponed surgeries, and overwhelmed pharmacies with lines stretching down hallways and out the door.
Cecilia Ochoa, 50, a lifelong Kaiser member, attempted to fill an antibiotic prescription at the Downey Medical Center after being diagnosed with a urinary tract infection following a recent hospitalization. She found a line of nearly 100 people at the pharmacy, which eventually stopped filling prescriptions for the day. One man in line had been waiting three hours just to check in.
“It was bad. It was so bad they were handing out snacks, water. People were there for so long,” Ochoa said.
Though frustrated by the disruptions, Ochoa expressed support for the striking workers. “I think somewhere they lost the whole thing. It’s not about the patient, it’s about the money,” she said. “I hope all of this ends as soon as possible for everybody.”
Kaiser stated it had spent months preparing contingency plans to maintain care access during the strike.
