We commemorated the one-month mark of our strike with two boisterous rallies in Pasadena and Oakland. About 300 strikers converged on Kaiser’s regional headquarters in Southern California. People brought noise makers, sound systems, and bullhorns. There were lots of chants, and several people read out loud facts about Kaiser’s understaffing and violations at the executives inside.
Kaiser thought they were ready for us. They closed the parking garage and had police and extra security present. Security tried to rope off a perimeter to keep workers away from the entrance to the headquarters, but dozens of strikers went right past them and occupied the front entrance area for over an hour.
Several people stood on elevated planters in the plaza. When a security guard told Ligia Pacheco, a Kaiser therapist, to get down, she replied, “I’m under 5 feet. Why are you afraid of me?”
During the rally, a Kaiser patient, Lulu Favela, declared that she had used her last sick day just to be with everyone and show support for the strike.
Several workers spoke, including ADAPT therapist Kassaundra Gutierrez-Thompson.
The rally was covered by Fox-11, Spectrum TV, the Latin American News Network, and Pasadena Now.
Meanwhile, about 50 Kaiser stewards in Northern California spent their lunch hour gathered outside Kaiser Corporate Headquarters, leading chants of “Settle it Now” and “If we don’t get no pension, you don’t get no peace.”
Several workers spoke, including Ilana Marcucci-Morris, a social worker in Northern California, who led off her remarks, saying “We are here to tell our Southern California counterparts that we are with you. We in Northern California have been where you are — and we are evidence that staying stronger one day longer than Kaiser is the only way to get the fair contract you and your patients deserve.”
A reporter from People’s World covered the rally and interviewed workers. Check out photos of both actions below.
Although most people were at the rally, we still had some important guests today on our picket lines. California Labor Federation President Lorena Gonzalez talked to strikers on the West Los Angeles picket line. Chula Vista Councilmember-elect Michael Inzunza joined workers in San Diego, and tomorrow we’re expecting San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria to visit the picket line.
Social media
Many of us have seen Kaiser’s newspaper ads that are full of lies. So we decided to correct them on social media. Check out our posts and share them:
Twitter: https://x.com/NUHW/status/1859251357426860372
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTYYx19Rd
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/DCmIjlsPKBk/?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
Welcome to the World
Congratulations to Martha Ton, who showed up at the strike line Tuesday knowing that she’d be induced at 4 p.m. and is now the mom of this cutie named Ari:
Thanksgiving Week
There will be NO picket lines next Thursday and Friday. This Monday, every picket line will have a Where’s Waldo/Where’s Kaiser theme. Wear your red and white shirts, and there will be glasses and hats for everyone. There were more people on the picket line this week than any week since the second week of the strike. Let’s keep showing that energy for all three days next week.
Hardship Fund info and other resources
We received a $10,000 donation this week from the American Federation of Teachers. Applications for the fund are due Fridays by 11:59 p.m. for disbursement for the following Friday. You can find the official rules for disbursement here and the application form here. Hardship funds are nontaxable income, and can be claimed as gifts.
Picket line photos
See the gallery of photos below, and see more on NUHW’s social media channels: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok.
