Healthcare strikes in 2026 have drawn in tens of thousands of workers across hospitals, health systems and home care settings, with disputes centering on wages, staffing and contract terms. Becker’s has tracked 17 strikes so far this year.
Here are the five largest, ranked by the number of workers involved, according to Becker’s reporting:
1. More than 31,000 nurses and healthcare professionals represented by the United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals began an open-ended walkout Jan. 26 at facilities owned by Oakland, Calif.-based Kaiser Permanente. Workers returned Feb. 24 after the union accepted Kaiser’s offer of 21.5% across-the-board wage increases. Members ratified the contracts in March, with agreements set to expire Sept. 29, 2029.
2. More than 23,000 Kaiser Permanente nurses represented by the California Nurses Association held a 24-hour sympathy strike March 18 at facilities across Northern California, joining a one-day strike by approximately 2,400 mental health therapists, social workers and psychologists represented by the National Union of Healthcare Workers.
3. Nearly 15,000 nurses across four New York City hospitals — Montefiore, Mount Sinai and NewYork-Presbyterian — began an open-ended strike Jan. 12. After 41 days, all groups ratified new three-year contracts.
4. More than 4,000 nurses at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston and about 450 clinicians at Mass General Brigham Home Care, both represented by the Massachusetts Nurses Association, ended overlapping strikes July 13 and July 15, respectively, after more than a year of bargaining over wages, staffing and caseloads.
5. More than 3,000 pharmacy and lab workers represented by the United Food and Commercial Workers ended a three-day strike Feb. 12 at Kaiser Permanente facilities across Southern California and Kern County.
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