NUHW Members Launch Strike at Kaiser for Better Mental Health Care

NUHW Members Initiate Open-Ended Strike with Strong Support

On the first day of an open-ended strike, over 500 members of the National Union of Healthcare Workers (NUHW) gathered at Los Angeles Medical Center. The picket lines extended to other locations including Fontana, Anaheim, and San Diego, with workers voicing their reasons for striking through social media. Among them, Zhane Sandoval and Maria Favela Thompson shared their perspectives online. Danealia Maretka expressed concerns about insufficient time for patient care duties, while Kassaundra Gutierrez Thompson highlighted the challenges posed by Kaiser’s approach to mental health care.

The strike has garnered significant backing from fellow union members, with more than 200 UNAC members joining the picket in Los Angeles. The L.A. Labor Federation, representing 800,000 members, and the California Labor Federation, with 2 million members, have also shown their support.

Local elected officials actively participated in the picket lines, openly opposing Kaiser’s request for neutrality. Some officials recounted negative experiences with Kaiser’s mental health services. California State Senate President Pro Tempore Mike McGuire addressed a letter to Kaiser CEO Greg Adams, urging that the strike’s contingency plans prioritize patient appointments to maintain care standards.

Congressman Adam Schiff, a likely candidate for the U.S. Senate, extended his support on social media, stating, “Kaiser’s mental health workers are on strike for better patient care, fair wages, and pensions. I stand with the National Union of Healthcare Workers in their fight — because quality mental health care requires quality pay and benefits.”

The strike has received widespread media attention, featuring in national and regional outlets such as CNN, CalMatters, and the Los Angeles Times. It was also covered by the San Diego Union Tribune and other regional newspapers.

Television coverage included major networks in San Diego and Los Angeles, such as KCAL, NBC-4, Fox-11, and ABC-7. Coverage also spanned Spanish-language networks like Telemundo and Univision.

Radio stations such as KNX Radio in Los Angeles and KFI News Talk Radio in Orange County, along with NPR affiliates KPPC in Los Angeles and KPBS in San Diego, provided additional coverage.

For more visuals from the event, visit NUHW's social media: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok.

The post Kaiser Psych-Social Strike: Day 1 appeared first on NUHW.

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