We sent a powerful message to Kaiser officials today demonstrating our resolve to win a fair contract that will treat us as equals in the Kaiser system and guarantee better access to care for Kaiser patients. About 12 strikers along with four allies, including California Labor Federation President Lorena Gonzalez, blocked West Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles outside the Kaiser Los Angeles Medical Center until police arrested them.
About 100 workers and allies supported them with chants that included “Settle it now,” and “What do we want? A fair contract. When do we want it? Now.”
This was the first act of civil disobedience during any Kaiser strike. Workers who have been active on the picket lines decided to do this with community support because after 16 weeks of Kaiser slow-walking negotiations while clearly violating clinical standards and legal requirements for care during the strike, they felt it was time to take an action that conveyed the seriousness of the situation and Kaiser’s failure to act in a moral and ethical manner.
Several news organizations covered the action including KABC, Fox 11 LA, KTLA, KCAL, KNX News Radio, La Opinión, and KPCC/The LAist. A recording of the livestream of the entire action is available on our Instagram Page.
Speakers during a rally prior to the street protest included UNAC President Charmaine Morales, UNITE-HERE Local 11 Co-President Ada Briceño and NUHW member Marcy Pullard, who works at Kaiser’s Behavioral Health Crisis Line.
NUHW President Emeritus Sal Rosselli announced that we have accepted Governor Newsom’s request to enter into focused mediation with Kaiser. To our knowledge, Kaiser has not yet responded to the governor’s request. A similar push for mediation from the Newsom Administration in 2022 helped reach a fair settlement that ended the Northern California strike. In that instance, then-Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg met separately with both parties over three days working on a compromise.
Unity Petition
In just over a week, 82 percent of membership signed the Unity Petition declaring that everyone remains committed to winning a fair contract that treats behavioral health care and the people who provide on equal footing with other Kaiser services and employees. Check out the online blog for a photo of the scroll containing more than 1,900 names.
Odds and Ends
- Our next bargaining session is scheduled for 10 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 17 at the Hilton Glendale. Sign up to attend.
- To sign up for picket lines next week, use this link: https://nuhw.knack.com/db#kpc-strike-sign-up/
- Check out the story in California Healthline and several state publications including the Orange County Register about the strike and Kaiser’s longstanding behavioral health failings.
Picket line photos
See picket line photos below and on NUHW’s social media channels: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok.
