Kaiser Mental Health Workers Strike Continues with Pickets in California

The ongoing strike by Kaiser Permanente's mental health professionals, represented by the National Union of Healthcare Workers, continues today with a renewed presence at picket lines. The strike, which began earlier this week, will now include a first-time demonstration in Bakersfield.

Thursday, Oct. 24 Picket Line Locations

Scheduled from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Thursday, the picket lines will be active at the following Kaiser locations:

• Bakersfield Kaiser Mental Health Offices, 4900 California Ave., Bakersfield
• San Diego Medical Center, 9455 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
• Fontana Medical Center, 9961 Sierra Ave., Fontana
• Anaheim Medical Center, 3440 East La Palma Ave., Anaheim
• West Los Angeles Medical Center, 6041 Cadillac Ave., Los Angeles

Each location will host a lunchtime rally featuring participation from community and elected leaders. For a comprehensive list of picket line locations and times for the initial two weeks of the strike, click here. Additional information about the strike can be found in a fact sheet available here.

State Oversight of Kaiser

In a significant regulatory action last year, the California Department of Managed Health Care (DMHC) imposed a $50 million fine on Kaiser, marking the largest fine in state history for breaching mental health parity laws. The violations included the cancellation of over 111,000 therapy sessions during a prior strike in Northern California.

This week, the DMHC announced it will closely monitor Kaiser's compliance with access to behavioral health care throughout the strike period.

"Health plans must continue to comply with the law during a labor strike, including meeting timely access standards and providing appropriate mental health and substance use disorder care to members," stated DMHC Director Mary Watanabe in a press release. "The DMHC is monitoring Kaiser Permanente’s compliance with the law during the strike to ensure the plan is providing their members with appropriate access to necessary health care services."

Kaiser patients facing urgent needs or unable to resolve issues directly can contact the DMHC Help Center at 1-888-466-2219 or visit www.DMHC.ca.gov.

Stalled Negotiations

Despite Kaiser initiating a negotiation session on Wednesday, no new proposals were presented, and discussions ended prematurely. The next round of negotiations is slated for Friday.

"It’s disappointing to listen to Kaiser give excuses for offering us less time for patients than we need and less money and poorer benefits that our non-mental health counterparts receive," commented Lisa Carroll, a medical social worker based in San Diego. "If Kaiser executives were serious about fixing its mental healthcare system, they wouldn’t be insisting on making us accept less than everyone else."

# # #

The National Union of Healthcare Workers is a member-led movement that represents 19,000 healthcare workers in California and Hawaii, including more than 4,700 Kaiser mental health professionals.