Kaiser Permanent workers authorize strike

Kaiser Permanente workers across Southwest Washington voted Friday to authorize their union to call a strike. The Oregon Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals AFT Local 5017, AFL-CIO, represents about 3,700 Kaiser Permanente employees across Southwest Washington and Oregon, including registered nurses and lab professionals. Those employees are currently bargaining alongside 60,000 other members of the Alliance of Healthcare Unions, a federation of 23 local unions representing workers everywhere Kaiser Permanente operates. The strike authorization vote began Sept. 15 and concluded Friday. Of 92 percent of union members who voted, 97 percent voted to authorize a strike, according to a Friday news release from the union. The union’s contract is set to expire Sept. 30. Bargaining team leaders would still have to give Kaiser a 10-day notice before a strike could ensue. “Cutting frontline care costs is a choice — a choice that’s not in the patients’ best interest. Our choice is for Kaiser to go back to the days when it worked collaboratively in partnership with its workers on creating high-quality workplace conditions and decisions that put patients first,” Oregon Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals President Sarina Roher said in the news release. “The experts who provide the care must shape the care plans; that’s how patients thrive. Health care decisions belong in the hands of those who deliver the care, not those who balance the books.” About 300 employees across seven Kaiser Permanente clinics in Clark County would walk out if a strike ensues. Employees would also strike at other facilities throughout Oregon, including Kaiser’s Westside and Sunnyside medical centers. The union said it is bargaining over issues such as wages, working conditions and the future of care. In a statement to The Columbian, Kaiser said it has been negotiating in good faith with the union since May. As of Sept. 12, Kaiser’s current offer provides union-represented employees with wage increases totaling 20 percent over the four years of the contract, including an increase in the first year, according to the statement. “We are offering enhancements to the already generous and market leading benefits and retirement programs we provide, retiree medical benefits, which fewer companies are offering, and educational resources to support employees to grow their careers with us. When combined, these elements create a package that supports employees and their long-term security,” Kaiser said in the statement. “It is disappointing that union leadership would choose to authorize a strike, which could disrupt care for our members and patients, while we are actively working toward an agreement.” In 2024, Kaiser added more than 6,300 new employees, including nearly 4,700 in care delivery and over 1,600 in union-represented roles, according to the statement. “Allegations about staffing and care quality do not reflect the facts. Kaiser Permanente meets — and often exceeds — mandated nurse-to-patient ratios and staffing standards,” Kaiser said. Southwest Washington employees could be joined by tens of thousands of other health care professionals across eight states in what could be the largest labor strike of 2025, said Shane Burley, the union’s communications organizer. “We will continue to bargain in good faith, hoping that we can reach an agreement that is fair and respectful for health care workers and best for our patients,” Roher said in the news release. Chrissy Booker: 360-735-4613; chrissy.booker@columbian.com About the project: This story was made possible by Community Funded Journalism, a project from The Columbian and the Local Media Foundation that is funded by community member donations. The Columbian controls all content. For more information, visit columbian.com/cfj.

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