Largest Strike in U.S. History Threatens Patient Care in Colorado

Thousands of healthcare workers employed by Kaiser Permanente across Colorado have gone on strike starting Wednesday morning as contract negotiations between their union and employer stalled. The strike could affect operations at 30 clinics and disrupt the daily routines of patients seeking medical care.

The Service Employees International Union, representing around 3,000 nurses, lab techs, and call center staff among others, has announced the strike will last for three days. According to the union's Colorado chapter president Stephanie Felix-Sowy, workers will be picketing outside the affected clinics in an effort to bring attention to their demands for improved staffing levels and wages that account for recent inflation.

However, Kaiser Permanente has stated that they are committed to keeping their facilities open and staffed with doctors, registered nurses, managers, and contract staff. They also advised members that non-urgent appointments and procedures may need to be rescheduled and that they will be contacted beforehand if necessary.

The strike, set to begin on October 4, will be the largest healthcare strike in US history, involving over 75,000 healthcare workers at Kaiser Permanente facilities in six states and Washington DC. The workers' union contract expired over the weekend, and workers are pushing for significant improvements in staff levels and wages to better meet patient needs.

Henry Perez, an intensive care unit secretary at Kaiser Permanente in California for four years, expressed his frustration with the lack of concern for short-staffing and patient care by the healthcare provider. He noted that working in emergency care, there are days where he has to do the work of multiple staff members, leading to burnout and stress for both himself and the nurses he supports.

Kaiser Permanente, a non-profit organization, has reported profits of over $3 billion in the first half of 2023 and pays at least 49 corporate executives salaries exceeding $1 million annually. A spokesperson for the provider disputed claims of a staffing crisis and highlighted their efforts in hiring over 50,000 frontline employees in the last two years alone.

Both sides continue to negotiate with Kaiser Permanente saying it has contingency plans in place to continue providing care during any possible work stoppage.