Kaiser Permanente and the National Union of Healthcare Workers have reached a tentative agreement to end a 10-week strike by mental health therapists in Northern California.
Oakland, Calif.-based Kaiser Permanente and the union reached the agreement for a new contract on Oct. 18, with mediation help from Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg, according to a joint statement shared with Becker's.
The statement says the new four-year agreement "will benefit Kaiser Permanente patients and drive collaborative efforts aimed at improving access to mental healthcare, while at the same time recognizing and better supporting mental health therapists in their important work."
About 2,000 mental healthcare workers, represented by the National Union of Healthcare Workers, began an open-ended strike Aug. 15 in Northern California.
Union members will participate in a two-day ratification vote starting Oct. 18, after which further agreement details will be available, according to the joint statement.