Southern California Kaiser Caregivers Authorize Strike Over Staffing Issues

Southern California caregivers vote for strike authorization following Kaiser Permanente's rejection of proposals to tackle staffing issues and enhance patient care time.

GLENDALE, CALIFORNIA — A significant number of Kaiser Permanente's behavioral healthcare providers, including psychologists, social workers, psychiatric nurses, and addiction medicine counselors across Southern California, have voted in favor of a strike. This decision highlights ongoing concerns over the healthcare giant's failure to rectify disparities within its mental health services, which reportedly hinder patient access to necessary care.

Although the caregivers' contract lapsed on September 30, they have yet to issue an official strike notice, and negotiations with Kaiser are set to continue into the following week. More than 80% of the caregivers participated in the strike authorization vote.

This move involves nearly 2,400 professionals catering to Kaiser's 4.8 million members across various facilities from San Diego to Bakersfield. It comes almost a year after the California Department of Managed Health Care imposed a record $50 million fine on Kaiser for infringing upon mental health parity laws.

In addition to the fine, Kaiser was tasked with developing a Corrective Action Plan and initiating major changes in its mental health services. However, almost one year later, Kaiser has yet to deliver a state-sanctioned plan, continuing to underfund and understaff its mental health operations, notably in Southern California.

“Kaiser hasn’t come to the bargaining table with meaningful solutions to the massive problems we have,” said Kassaundra Gutierrez-Thompson, a therapist with Kaiser in Los Angeles. “It feels impossible to stay a good therapist in this system, so I’m ready to strike for my patients and myself.”

Kaiser has the financial means to address these issues, having reported $31 billion in profits since 2018. However, a survey by the National Union of Healthcare Workers (NUHW) of Kaiser’s Southern California mental health therapists found:

• 65% reported insufficient staff to offer timely and appropriate patient care.
• 81% indicated a lack of adequate time for essential patient care tasks outside of therapy sessions.
• 68% noted the unavailability of weekly individual therapy appointments for those in need.
• 58% stated they couldn't see patients every two weeks as mandated by state law.

Despite statewide challenges, Kaiser’s Northern California region, where therapists held a 10-week strike in 2022, has seen improvements in staffing and therapists' time allocation for non-therapy tasks.

Currently, Southern California has about 40% fewer therapists compared to Northern California, despite having around 200,000 more members. This discrepancy forces many patients to seek care outside Kaiser’s integrated system.

Additionally, Southern California Kaiser therapists have significantly less time than their Northern counterparts for crucial duties like responding to patient communications, preparing for appointments, and charting.

“I’m back-to-back all day in appointments,” added Gutierrez-Thompson, who participates in a program where therapy sessions last less than 30 minutes. “I have about three minutes to look at my patients’ charts. That’s not enough. Patients are getting burned out therapists who end up leaving because this isn’t what therapy is supposed to be.”

Data from Kaiser reveals that 25% of the 1,508 therapists hired in Southern California between January 2021 and September 2024 have left, with 64% departing within a year of being hired.

Kaiser delayed contract discussions until July 31 and has since dismissed the caregivers' primary contract proposals aimed at reducing attrition and enhancing care:

• Equal time for patient care tasks outside appointments. Northern California therapists receive 7 hours weekly for these duties, while Southern California therapists get just 2-4 hours.
• Fair pay. Mental health professionals at Kaiser earn up to 40% less than non-mental health employees, despite similar educational and licensing requirements.
• Restoration of pensions. Mental health workers hired post-2014 in Southern California, aside from a few pharmacists, are the only Kaiser employees in California without pension plans, contributing to higher turnover. Union data indicates that those without pensions are twice as likely to leave.

“Everything we’re proposing in negotiations, Kaiser is already providing to the vast majority of its workforce,” said Adriana Webb, a medical social worker specializing in HIV patient care at Kaiser. “If Kaiser is serious about transforming its mental health care system, it has to start by ending the inequities that harm us and our patients.”