Mariah Cain, Staff Writer
Around 400 healthcare workers in the D.C. area are on strike against Kaiser Permanente on Wednesday morning. They join over 75,000 other Kaiser workers who are set to join the picket lines on Wednesday from California, Colorado, Oregon, and Washington. After Kaiser Permanente and a coalition of eight unions representing the staff failed to reach an agreement on Tuesday night, workers in the D.C. region began joining the picket lines around 7 a.m.
Kaiser Permanente is one of the nation’s largest not-for-profit health providers. The union coalition is demanding higher pay, earlier notice when management calls remote workers back to in-person work, protections against outsourcing, and a plan by Kaiser Permanente to address ongoing staff shortages. The strike is temporary with workers scheduled to return to work on Oct. 7. Another strike may come in November, if a deal is not met between the union coalition and Kaiser Permanente.
