Staffing, Pay Disputes Threaten Another Strike at Kaiser Permanente

Kaiser Permanente is in the limelight as 75,000 healthcare workers, under the banner of The Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions, brace for a possible weeklong strike slated for November 1. 

The coalition recently staged a 72-hour strike, echoing their demands for improved pay, enhanced staffing, and measures to counter high turnover rates, which they claim hampered the quality of patient care. 

This move comes after negotiations, mediated by acting U.S. labor secretary Julie Su, hit a deadlock.

The union claims these challenges have deteriorated the quality of service at Kaiser Permanente, Reuters noted. 

The company, a non-profit hospital network, has acknowledged the systemic staffing shortages, attributing it to the occupational "burnout" induced by the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in an exodus of over 5 million healthcare workers industry-wide.

Another focal point of the discord is the company's outsourcing healthcare responsibilities to third-party vendors, a move that has not sat well with the union. 

The Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions has been explicit, indicating that a follow-up strike, potentially involving another 3,000 healthcare workers in Seattle, is imminent unless a settlement is reached.

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