Tens of thousands of Kaiser Permanente workers across multiple states have ended their planned five-day strike, union leaders and the health system said in statements shared with Becker’s.
Oakland, Calif.-based Kaiser said it was resuming normal operations and welcoming back the approximately 30,000 Alliance of Health Care Unions-represented employees who were returning from the strike that ended Oct. 19.
“We are deeply grateful to our front-line care teams who leaned in to ensure the continuity of outstanding patient care last week,” its statement said. “Our facilities were staffed by physicians, experienced managers and trained staff, along with nearly 6,000 contracted nurses, clinicians and others who worked with us during the strike.”
Kaiser and the Alliance plan to resume bargaining later in October, with a focus on “economic issues,” the statement said.
“We recognize our employees’ hard work and have offered a strong contract proposal that includes 21.5% in total base wage increases over four years and enhances their high-value medical plans and retiree benefits,” Kaiser said.
“At a time when the cost of healthcare continues to rise steeply and millions of Americans are having to make the difficult choice to go without coverage, it’s critical that we keep quality, accessible healthcare coverage affordable while attracting and retaining top talent — and keeping Kaiser Permanente a great place to work and receive care. Our offer does all this.”
United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals leaders said the strike by its members at more than 500 Kaiser hospitals and clinics “drew powerful support from patients, community members and elected officials” and showed that “caregivers are united, determined and backed by a growing movement for safe staffing and fair contracts.”
The union also pointed to new Joint Commission standards announced during the strike that formally recognize nurse staffing as a national performance goal beginning in 2026.
The standards “will reshape the landscape of contract negotiations moving forward. It elevates safe staffing from an employer ‘choice’ to a patient safety standard. This shift strengthens caregivers’ position when negotiations resume,” the union’s statement said.
Sarina Roher, RN, president of the Oregon Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals, which represents about 4,000 nurses and other health professionals at Kaiser facilities in Oregon and Southwest Washington, said in a statement that “the strike may be over, but our fight for our patients and for fairness in healthcare is far from finished.”
She added that members of the union “deserve to have a real voice in how that care is provided” and seek “competitive wages that retain and recruit the skilled professionals our patients depend on. Without that, wait times grow longer, outcomes worsen and the quality of care will suffer.”
Kaiser, which comprises Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Kaiser Foundation Hospitals and its subsidiaries, and the Permanente Medical Groups, serves 12.6 million members at facilities across the U.S.
As the strike at Kaiser facilities ends, another one continues. Members of the Hawaii Teamsters Local 996 began an open-ended strike Oct. 17 at Hawaii Pacific Health’s Kapiolani Medical Center for Women and Children in Honolulu.
It is the second strike Kapiolani has faced in two years, according to Hawaii News Now.
The Teamsters union represents hundreds of workers at the hospital in roles ranging from direct patient care to housekeeping, according to the news outlet. Kapiolani, part of Honolulu-based HawaII Pacific Health, has more than 1,500 employees and 630 physicians total.
Hawaii News Now reported that wages are the primary sticking point in negotiations.
“We’ve been in bargaining for the past few months and unfortunately, we came to this point where we have to come out here and do this,” Kevin Holu, president of Teamsters Local 996, said, according to the news outlet.
Kapiolani COO Gidget Ruscetta, RN, said in a statement shared with Becker’s that the hospital’s temporary workforce is supporting the Kapiolani team during the strike and emphasized its commitment to reaching a deal as soon as possible.
