31,000 Nurses in California and Hawaii Strike for Better Conditions

Healthcare Workers in California and Hawaii Strike Over Labor Practices

In a significant labor movement, over 31,000 nurses and healthcare professionals initiated a strike on Monday across various hospitals and clinics in California and Hawaii. This action, deemed an unfair labor practice strike, highlights the ongoing struggle for better working conditions and patient care.

The strike involves members of the United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals (UNAC/UHCP). The healthcare workers are advocating for vital changes such as improved staffing levels, timely access to quality healthcare, and increased involvement in decision-making processes affecting their patients. Additionally, they are pushing for better wages and respect in negotiations.

Among the many striking workers is Christabel Vann Nguyen, a night-shift operating room nurse at Kaiser Irvine, who expressed her frustrations by stating, “We’re tired of [Kaiser’s] lack of commitment to our patients and the lack of respect they show for our work. We give our all every day and we don’t have the necessary resources. We're here asking Kaiser to come to the table for our patients, so we can provide better care for everybody.”

Negotiations between UNAC/UHCP members and Kaiser have been ongoing since last May, with some discussions starting as early as January 2024. The contract between UNAC/UHCP and Kaiser expired on September 30, prompting a previous five-day work stoppage in October to shed light on the critical issues facing healthcare workers.

In December, the union filed an unfair labor practice claim with the National Labor Relations Board. This claim accused Kaiser of attempting to undermine the established national bargaining process and interfering with good-faith negotiations.

UNAC/UHCP represents 41,000 registered nurses and healthcare professionals in California and Hawaii, with 31,000 of these professionals employed by Kaiser Permanente. The union's diverse membership includes physician assistants, certified nurse midwives, pharmacists, physical therapists, and speech-language pathologists, among others.

Gerard Corros, a day-shift charge nurse in Orange County and member of the Southern California nurses bargaining team, emphasized the essential role of healthcare professionals, stating, “When you need something in health care, you look for a nurse. A physician cannot be a physician without a nurse. Health care will not be going anywhere without your health care professionals, without the PAs and MPs and nursing professionals.”

Kelli Rubidoux, a physical therapist at Kaiser’s Anaheim campus, voiced a collective message to Kaiser’s CEO, urging a return to negotiations: “Show up, knock it off. Let's go and get this settled. Do the right thing.”