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Tens of Thousands of Kaiser Permanente Employees Go on Strike
NBC Bay Area ^ | October 3, 2023 | Ian Cull

Posted on 10/04/2023 2:08:43 PM PDT by nickcarraway

Kaiser Permanente employees launched a three-day strike Wednesday morning at facilities across the country.

Roughly 75,000 employees were expected to hit the picket lines across the U.S. for the next three days. In Northern California, more than 37,000 workers were slated to walk off the job, upset over wages and a lack of staffing.

The union claims its poll found two-thirds of workers have seen care delayed or denied due to short staffing. Kaiser has disputed those results.

"We are overwhelmed," medical assistant Damaris Reyes said. "I don’t think that we can go any longer with what Kaiser is offering us."

The jobs affected by the strike include ER and X-ray technicians, ultrasound sonographers, and customer service workers, among many others.

Doctors and registered nurses are not involved in the strike, and hospitals will remain open.

"Our vacations do not get approved, only two staff are allowed to be off, we have about 16-17 [medical assistants]," medical assistant Elizabeth Martinez said. "We have three brand new doctors and no staff for them."

Kaiser says it continues to work toward an agreement but has plans in place to ensure high-quality care will continue if workers strike.

The provider also claims to have the highest total compensation in every market where it operates.

"The issue at the table is not staffing, it is wages," said Michelle Gaskill-Hames, Kaiser Permanente Regional President in Southern California and Hawaii. "That’s the reason that hopefully we will resolve in the next 24 hours, but that’s the reason at the table."

Kaiser said it may have to reschedule non-urgent appointments and procedures and noted that wait times could increase during a strike.

"It has really been tough across the country in terms of staffing shortages associated with the great retirement, the great burnout," Gaskill-Hames said. "But the fact of the matter is KP has been doing better than others in terms of retaining our employees."


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Health/Medicine; Local News
KEYWORDS: california; healthcare; kaiserpermanente; strike
How many lives will be saved since people can't go into Kaiser?
1 posted on 10/04/2023 2:08:43 PM PDT by nickcarraway
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To: nickcarraway

No kidding

I thought these heros were given massive raises and bonuses during “CCP-19 Covid “


2 posted on 10/04/2023 2:17:09 PM PDT by Vendome (I've Gotta Be Me https://youtu.be/wH-pk2vZG2M)
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To: nickcarraway

Fire them all. Replace them with Biden’s illegal aliens. They will work for far less!
No doubt the Union Bosses will then demand their member continue to vote Democrat in the next elections. It is in their blood.


3 posted on 10/04/2023 2:18:09 PM PDT by Ruy Dias de Bivar (“No man’s life, liberty, or property are safe while the legislature is in session.”)
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To: Ruy Dias de Bivar

My Kaiser doctor can only take his vacation in one week increments.


4 posted on 10/04/2023 2:21:14 PM PDT by DIRTYSECRET (e allowed )
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To: Ruy Dias de Bivar
Replace them with Biden’s illegal aliens. They will work for far less!

Probably better at medicine.

5 posted on 10/04/2023 2:21:44 PM PDT by nickcarraway
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To: nickcarraway

I’ve known people who’ve loved Kaiser, others who hate them. Real mixed bag.

My guess is that Kaiser is suffering from having fired too many people for refusing the clot shots. Gaskill-Holmes, regional President, refers to “the great retirement, the great burnout”.

Staffing seems to be a problem everywhere.


6 posted on 10/04/2023 2:21:49 PM PDT by jimtorr
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To: nickcarraway

That should be 75,000 pink slips.


7 posted on 10/04/2023 2:22:31 PM PDT by SCConservative58
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To: nickcarraway

The Purple People Beaters?


8 posted on 10/04/2023 2:30:35 PM PDT by Zathras
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To: Zathras

Yep its SEIU with but hiding their ID.


9 posted on 10/04/2023 2:37:53 PM PDT by Zathras
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To: nickcarraway

If they are smart they will include a “just say no” clause in the contract to exclude any kill shot mandates.


10 posted on 10/04/2023 2:38:37 PM PDT by RetiredTexasVet (Biden not only suffers fools and criminals, he appoints them to positions of responsibility. )
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To: nickcarraway

They had staff until vax mandates forced people to resign or be fired. Oh well.


11 posted on 10/04/2023 2:39:59 PM PDT by EQAndyBuzz (At this point, I would rather have the illegals here than the liberals.)
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To: EQAndyBuzz

How many people left/were fired?


12 posted on 10/04/2023 2:41:09 PM PDT by nickcarraway
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To: nickcarraway

The consequences of forced vaccination.


13 posted on 10/04/2023 3:00:11 PM PDT by roving (👌⚓Deplorable Listless Vessel with Trumpitist who looks Trumpish)
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To: nickcarraway

2,200


14 posted on 10/04/2023 3:02:03 PM PDT by roving (👌⚓Deplorable Listless Vessel with Trumpitist who looks Trumpish)
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To: roving

Forgot link.

https://www.foxbusiness.com/healthcare/kaiser-permanente-suspension-workers-vaccine-mandate


15 posted on 10/04/2023 3:03:40 PM PDT by roving (👌⚓Deplorable Listless Vessel with Trumpitist who looks Trumpish)
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To: Vendome

Who cares. The entire medical community is untrustworthy and needs to meet its demise.


16 posted on 10/04/2023 3:04:47 PM PDT by joma89 (Buy weapons and ammo, folks, and have the will to use them.)
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To: nickcarraway

My mom worked for one of the doctors in town for years, just running the office and doing the billing.

At a time when this guy still carried that black bag and made house calls when needed.

One talks to her and she’ll tell you how easy things were back in the day. Folks had policies that covered the serious stuff, ER visits and stuff like that. Routine appointments were cash on delivery.

Then the Clinton’s showed up with their HMOs and all that crap. She will tell you that’s when everything went to absolute sh*t and it’s only gotten worse with all the hospital corporations and the “Wall St Efficiency Models” they us.


17 posted on 10/04/2023 4:21:10 PM PDT by qaz123
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To: Vendome

My wife is an RN in a hospital.
During the COVID garbage, she was forced to take the shot or be fired.
The RNs were not given proper Personal Protection Equipment until many months passed.
Travel nurses were brought in and paid nearly triple what the the original nurses were paid.
Management got their bonuses, but the rank and file RN got overworked and disrespected.
So, no, those heroes (who now are treated like zeroes) in no way profited from that time.


18 posted on 10/04/2023 6:26:55 PM PDT by dadgum (Enough!)
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To: dadgum

PeaceHealth Medical group, though, not Kaiser.


19 posted on 10/04/2023 6:29:25 PM PDT by dadgum (Enough!)
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To: nickcarraway

“How many people left/were fired?”

“Is Kaiser laying off people?

Despite recording a net income of $6.4 billion in 2020 and paying numerous executives million-dollar salaries, healthcare giant Kaiser Permanente announced on April 30 that it will eliminate more than 200 jobs at several facilities across California, leaving workers and their families devastated.”

This was 2020. Cannot find how many were fired or quit during the Pandemic.


20 posted on 10/05/2023 3:52:18 AM PDT by EQAndyBuzz (At this point, I would rather have the illegals here than the liberals.)
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