By Natalie Hanson

OAKLAND, Calif. (CN) — The largest health care workers strike in U.S. history is underway, as more than 75,000 Kaiser Permanente union workers are walking out of hospitals and clinics across the country for three days.

Service Employees International Union members in Colorado, California, Oregon, southwest Washington, Virginia and Washington, D.C., join thousands of workers striking in other industries nationwide, including those in the United Auto Workers’ walkout. Kaiser union members in those states, as well as in Maryland, voted Sept. 20 by a 94% margin to authorize protesting unfair labor practices. The strike is made up of workers from the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions, representing 85,000 Kaiser health care workers in seven states.

Hundreds of workers were already gathered outside the medical center in Oakland on Wednesday. The strike mood was cheerful as workers high-fived each other, grabbed slices of pizza and helped others not in the union sign up on “sympathy strike.” Cars driving by the medical center honked and even stopped to cheer on the workers waving signs, like Cristal Villanueva.

An Oakland resident and pediatrics medical assistant, Villanueva said she works many shifts short-staffed, for wages she says are unfair for the amount of work she and her colleagues are required to do.

“It’s just that the cost of living is so expensive,” she said. “It feels like we’re just stuck and not progressing. And Kaiser trying to take things away from us is just unfair, with the lack of support.”

Evelyn Temple, another Oakland resident and a respiratory therapist, said she came to Kaiser more than 25 years ago for their good reputation as a medical provider. Now, she says all she sees is “corporate greed” as she often works double shifts to help all her clients.

“Our patients are neglected,” Temple said. “They’re not able to get treatment at times, or they’re left three to four hours, waiting. It’s never been this bad. Some of our therapists are traveling three to four hours to Oakland just to work. It’s not right.”

At issue in this strike are what workers call a series of unfair labor practices and bad faith. The union says staffing levels have dipped, causing dangerously long wait times, mistaken diagnoses and rushed in-person care. They said that Kaiser’s proposals in negotiations included slashing performance bonuses for frontline workers, removing protections against subcontracting and outsourcing jobs to low-wage companies.

Kaiser Permanente, a large insurer and health care system operator, serves about 13 million people. The nonprofit company, based in Oakland, California, told the Associated Press its 39 hospitals, including emergency rooms, will remain open during the picketing, though appointments and non-urgent procedures could be delayed.

In a statement Oct. 2, the union said it had reached a tentative agreement on a 40% increase to an education fund to help members get promoted. But they reported that no agreement with Kaiser is in reach on other issues.

“Because of the internal debate raging, we have not heard from Kaiser on an overall settlement package that deals with our top issues all day,” a statement on the union’s website said.

“This chaotic approach to negotiations is what has driven Kaiser’s bad faith bargaining all along, but the dysfunction on their team has never been as stark as it is today,” the statement continued. “We have no choice but to prepare for the likelihood that Kaiser will continue to choose unfair labor practices over bargaining in good faith with us to solve the Kaiser staffing crisis.”

Despite being a nonprofit organization paying no income taxes on earnings and extremely limited property taxes, Kaiser has reported more than $24 billion in profit over the last five years. The company has investments of $113 billion in the US and abroad, including in fossil fuels, casinos and for-profit prisons.

“Kaiser executives are refusing to listen to us and are bargaining in bad faith over the solutions we need to end the Kaiser short-staffing crisis,” said Jessica Cruz, a licensed vocational nurse at Kaiser Los Angeles Medical Center. “I see my patients’ frustrations when I have to rush them and hurry on to my next patient. That’s not the care I want to give. We’re burning ourselves out trying to do the jobs of two or three people, and our patients suffer when they can’t get the care they need due to Kaiser’s short-staffing.”

The coalition and Kaiser Permanente last negotiated a contract in 2019, before the Covid-19 pandemic. Workers began picketing this summer​, citing their frustration that Kaiser’s clinics are short-staffed and executives have resisted pay increases to keep up with high costs of living. The union’s contracts expired Sept. 30.

In a statement released Wednesday, Kaiser said that it is still at the bargaining table with union representatives after a night of negotiations.

“There has been a lot of progress, with agreements reached on several specific proposals late Tuesday,” the provider said. “We remain committed to reaching a new agreement that continues to provide our employees with market-leading wages, excellent benefits, generous retirement income plans, and valuable professional development opportunities.”

Across the Bay, another momentous strike looks imminent.

Members of SEIU 1021, which represents some 900 custodial workers and other staff in San Francisco public schools, voted Tuesday night by 99% to strike after stalling in negotiations with the district. While the vote does not guarantee a strike, it gives the union’s negotiating team the power to call one if an agreement with the district is not reached soon. Members are among the lowest paid staff in the district, according to local outlet Mission Local, and the union is asking for a 16% raise backdated to 2020 and one-time $3,000 bonuses and salary modifications.

Kaiser Permanente union workers and other staffers are on strike at a medical center in Oakland, Calif. (Natalie Hanson/Courthouse News)

A group of Kaiser Permanente workers are on strike at a medical center in Oakland, Calif. (Natalie Hanson/Courthouse News)

Strike captain Tamura Surrell helps workers sign up as “sympathy strikers” at a union workers strike at Kaiser Permanente in Oakland, Calif. (Natalie Hanson/Courthouse News)

Kaiser Permanente workers are on strike at a medical center in Oakland, Calif. (Natalie Hanson/Courthouse News)