Thousands of US hospital workers vote to go on strike

Thousands of nurses and other healthcare professionals employed by the Kaiser Permanente group threaten to go on strike in California and Oregon in western USA, to demand better working conditions after more than a year and a half of the pandemic.

Two unions announced Monday that their members voted overwhelmingly to authorize the strike, demanding better working conditions.

The directors of Kaiser Permanente “They presented plans that will aggravate the chronic shortage of personnel, in particular by proposing to cut the salaries of new recruits and reduce those of workers who struggle to face the increase in prices of labor, food, shelter and other essentials”, accused the Union of Nurses of California (UNAC / UHC P) and the local antenna of the Union of Steelers (USW).

In Oregon “we had a 90% participation (…) and 96% of the voters approved ” the option to strike, said OFNHP, the northern California union for nurses and health professionals.

According to UNAC / UHCP, other votes authorizing the strike could be won in other US states, from Hawaii to Washington.

The three unions represent more than 31,000 health workers.

To take action, union leaders must give the employer ten days’ notice.

Kaiser Permanente serves about 12 million patients in the United States, in 39 hospitals and more than 700 health centers.

“We ask our employees to decline a call to get away from patients who need them”Kaiser’s vice president in charge of human resources, Arlene Peasnall, reacted in a statement to AFP.

“In the event of any type of work stoppage, our facilities will have doctors along with trained and experienced managers and contingency personnel ”, warned.

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