Union Protest Disrupts Kaiser Healthcare Event at San Diego's Petco Park

In an assertive move showcasing unity and determination, over 100 union supporters from Southern California, alongside national allies, effectively disrupted a planned Kaiser event at San Diego's Petco Park. The gathering was intended as a celebratory function for prominent healthcare buyers, marking the conclusion of a four-day conference.

The conference, attended by unions and management boards, saw a twist when union members, upon arriving at the stadium, chose to respect the picket line instead of joining the festivities. Many participants not only abstained from the event but also actively joined the picket, resulting in hundreds refusing to cross the line.

Despite the frustration of stadium officials, the demonstrators maintained their position outside the venue. As the event wrapped up, only about 20 individuals were observed departing, far fewer than Kaiser had anticipated for their significant celebration.

The demonstration received support from various unions, including the Teamsters, OPEIU, AFT, UFCW, and IBEW. Local media, such as the Fox station, covered the picket line action both in the morning and during the stadium protest.

Long Beach Outreach

In a related action, activists distributed information at a CalMatters forum in Long Beach, which focused on California's parity law. The strike was highlighted as evidence of the law's inadequate enforcement, engaging an audience of reporters, legislative staff, and mental health advocates.

Future Demonstrations

This Thursday, participants are invited to the Fontana picket line for National Spicy Guacamole Day. The event takes place at 9961 Sierra Avenue.

• Wednesday, November 20: New strike T-shirts will be distributed to picketers, providing an opportunity to clean regular NUHW shirts.
• Thursday, November 21: Concurrent rallies at noon will occur outside Kaiser's Pasadena and Oakland headquarters, demonstrating solidarity for a fair Southern California contract.

Hardship Fund and Resources

Applications for financial assistance are due Fridays by 5 pm, with distributions the following week. The fund's availability relies on ongoing crowdfunding efforts. Detailed rules and application forms can be found here and here.

San Diego Protest Report from AFT’s Robin Watkins

Brothers and Sisters at NUHW last night was absolutely amazing.

What it was…Kaiser rented out Petco Park for a customer appreciation event. They are a platinum sponsor at the conference in the convention center. The event at Petco was a minimum of $25,000 to rent. There was an open bar and heavy hors d’oeuvres along with entertainment. It was a very expensive event.

Who was invited … the conference had 5,600 attendees. Roughly 80% were labor leaders from all over the country. We are talking old school labor: Pipefitters, Firefighters out of Pittsburg, New York and Chicago. These folks have generational union blood coursing through their veins. We had spent the evening on Sunday and two full days getting our Continuing Education credits. It is rigorous, and as we are fiduciaries, we can not skip or miss sessions. Our badges are scanned at every session. If we do not receive our certificate of completion, we have to pay our funds for the conference and any travel payments made on our behalf. We very much look forward to joining our fellow brothers and sisters at the end to party with our hosting partners as well as our board members.

What you did … while you were beautifully chanting and marching, we were covering every entrance, handing out fliers and letting everyone who approached know that Kaiser had been in a labor dispute with their mental health workers for the last 3 weeks … with no end in sight. The invitees were frustrated, hungry, thirsty and now pissed at Kaiser admin … our supposed partner in healthcare and labor. Most turned around, many not only said, “fuck this” but yelled down the street to people coming up, “It’s a Kaiser strike — turn around!” Some came in, grabbed a sign and marched with you. Almost all of them called their fellow trustees to report what was going on. These people knew the shame of crossing a picket. Did some people go in? Very few. Those that did go in I am almost certain were the plan administrators, actuaries and the fund attorneys. Any labor members in there would feel shame if they went in.

What impact did you make … hundreds of your labor brothers and sisters from all over country did not attend this event. They went back to their trusts and pointed out Kaiser Management’s deplorable behavior. We talked to members from Northern California, Hawaii, Chicago, New York, Pittsburgh, Minneapolis, New Jersey and more … this will affect union funds that have Kaiser all over the country. Kaiser prides itself on being a labor partner … these people expect them to walk that talk. It also sent a clear message to Kaiser that it’s not business as usual here when you attack labor. What do we do when labor is under attack? We stand up and fight back. They sure heard that last night!

Thank you for doing what you did last night and what you continue to do. Fight the fight!

Robin Watkins
AFT local 1931 Treasurer and California Schools Labor Chair

Grocery Support

On Friday, the LA federation of unions will distribute grocery boxes at the LAMC picket line. Participants are encouraged to collect a food box.

Picket Line Photos

Explore the photo gallery below and visit NUHW's social media for more images: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok.