HONOLULU (KHON2) — More than 2,000 workers at Kaiser Permanente across the islands have authorized a strike, with 97% of workers from one union approving the strike.
The authorization was announced on Sept. 22, just days before the workers’ contracts are set to expire on Sept. 30.
Workers say they are looking for safe staffing to ensure employee safety and quality patient care, in addition to fair wage increases. According to the unions representing the workers, UNITE HERE Local 5 and the Hawaiʻi Nurses and Healthcare Professionals, some employees make 30% less than their mainland counterparts and do not see the same benefits.
“I am ready to strike if we need to because we need Kaiser to take our concerns about short staffing seriously and make a real commitment to addressing them,” said Wailuku LPN Diana Echalas. “Kaiser needs to do more to make sure we have the proper amount of staff and we are able to retain that staff. Constantly working short-staffed is exhausting and it is demoralizing to feel like we can’t give our patients the best care possible.”
For NICU nurse Y. David Schoen, the strike gives workers an opportunity to have a seat at the table.
“As frontline healthcare professionals, patient care is the center of our compass. We provide the best service and quality of care and advocate for our patients every day,” Schoen said. “We are their voices and our members need a voice at the table to ensure that we can continue to provide the high quality service and care every patient deserves.”
Local bargaining for Kaiser Permanente employees began back in April.
During the strike vote, Kaiser Permanente issued a statement saying they have negotiated in good faith with the Alliance of Health Care Unions and has worked with labor unions throughout its history.
“Kaiser Permanente has a proud history of working collaboratively with labor unions. We employ the largest number of union-represented health care workers in the country and work with over 40 unions,” the statement said. “We offer competitive wages, industry-leading benefits and meaningful career development opportunities. We are proud that about 92% of our employees represented by the Alliance choose to stay with Kaiser Permanente, well above the national health care average.”