Kaiser Northern California Therapists Join Strike Rallies for Support

Kaiser Mental Health Professionals in Northern California Rally in Solidarity with Southern Colleagues

California – As the strike by nearly 2,400 Kaiser mental health professionals in Southern California extends into its second month, their Northern California counterparts are holding rallies to show support. Demonstrations will occur simultaneously at noon outside Kaiser corporate offices in Pasadena and Oakland.

In Southern California, the rally will see mental health therapists, psychologists, social workers, and psychiatric nurses converging from various picket sites. They will gather at Kaiser’s regional headquarters along with elected officials, community allies, and patients.

In Northern California, while still under contract, Kaiser therapists are organizing a unity rally in Oakland. Their aim is to urge Kaiser’s top executives to engage in negotiations for a fair agreement.

Southern California Rally Details

WHO/WHAT: Striking Kaiser mental health professionals will be joined by patients and community allies for a demonstration marking the one-month duration of their strike. Elected officials will also be present.

WHEN/WHERE: The rally is scheduled for 12 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 21, at the Walnut Center, 393 E. Walnut Street, Pasadena.

Northern California Rally Details

WHO/WHAT: Kaiser mental health therapists, alongside community and elected allies like Oakland Councilmember Nikki Fortunato Bas, will rally outside Kaiser’s national headquarters. They aim to persuade Kaiser to resume negotiations with its principal decision makers.

WHEN/WHERE: The event will take place at 12 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 21, outside the Ordway Building, 1 Kaiser Plaza, Oakland.

The Southern California strike, which began on Oct. 21, saw two initial bargaining sessions, but no further talks have been scheduled. “Kaiser’s top decision makers are in Northern California, and they need to hear from us that the only way to end the strike is to start treating all its mental health professionals with respect and fairness,” said Shay Loftus, a psychologist in Northern California. He added that it took a ten-week strike two years ago to secure a fair contract in Northern California, and Southern California workers are not seeking more than what has already been granted up north.

In 2022, Northern California Kaiser therapists secured an agreement allowing seven hours weekly for patient care tasks outside therapy sessions, such as responding to calls and preparing treatment plans. However, Southern California therapists are offered only four hours for similar duties. Additionally, disparities exist in retirement benefits and salaries between the two regions.

Kaiser’s approach raises questions about its commitment to improving mental healthcare, a requirement under a $200 million Settlement Agreement with state regulators signed in October 2023. Despite acknowledging staffing issues and delays in patient appointments, Kaiser has yet to implement a state-approved corrective action plan.

“If Kaiser can’t provide us enough time to do our jobs, then it’s never going to be able to fix its mental healthcare system,” stated Ligia Pacheco, a Kaiser social worker in Los Angeles. She emphasized the harmful impact of Kaiser’s policies on lives, affirming the strike will continue until the company values their work and patients.

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The National Union of Healthcare Workers represents 19,000 healthcare workers in California and Hawai’i, including over 4,700 Kaiser mental health professionals.