Union healthcare workers and medical giant Kaiser Permanente came to a tentative deal after the largest healthcare strike in U.S. history, both sides announced early Friday.
The frontline healthcare workers of the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions are excited to have reached a tentative agreement with Kaiser Permanente. We are thankful for the instrumental support of Acting US Labor Secretary Julie Su.
— SEIU-UHW #United4All (@seiu_uhw) October 13, 2023
A full announcement will follow shortly. pic.twitter.com/KOAFNXhP87
The strike, which lasted from Oct. 4 to Oct. 7, saw 75,000 technicians, cleaning staff and some pharmacy workers walk off their jobs, demanding better pay and working conditions amid post-pandemic burnout and pervasive short-staffing in the health care industry.
No details on the tentative agreement were immediately available.
We are excited to have reached a tentative agreement with the frontline health care workers of the @UnionCoalition this morning. We are thankful for the instrumental involvement of Acting U.S. Labor Secretary @ActSecJulieSu .
— Kaiser Permanente (@aboutKP) October 13, 2023
A full announcement will follow shortly. pic.twitter.com/MGzFnrHdFA
During the strike, outsourcing and understaffing emerged as sticking points for labor organizers, who say they want higher pay to stem a staffing exodus fueled by pandemic burnout.
“Frontline healthcare workers continue to await meaningful action by Kaiser executives to address our key priorities, including safe staffing, outsourcing protections for incumbent healthcare workers, and fair wages to reduce turnover,” Gwendolyn Holloway, a contact lens technician at the Kaiser Permanente Vallejo Medical Center, said in a Oct. 6 union news release.
Neither Kaiser Permanente nor the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions responded immediately to requests for comment.