Largest U.S. Health Care Strike Is Over --- For Now: CNN

More than 75,000 unionized Kaiser Permanente employees are returning to work after a historic three-day strike.

Strikes may resume later if a deal is not reached. I Photo: UFCW Local 135 Facebook

However, an even bigger and longer work stoppage could be just around the corner, as Samantha Delouva reported for CNN. This week’s temporary work stoppage—the largest health care strike in US history—concluded at 6 am PT on Saturday without a deal.

A spokesperson for the coalition of unions representing a broad spectrum of Kaiser Permanente employees, including receptionists, dietary workers, nursing staff, pharmacists, and clinical lab scientists, told CNN that strikes may resume later if a deal is not reached.

The union confirmed that negotiations will resume on Thursday, as reported by Chris Isidore and Alicia Wallace also for CNN.

“Following this historic work action by tens of thousands of frontline healthcare workers in response to unfair labor practices by Kaiser executives, we are hopeful that the company will refrain from any further violations of federal labor laws as we resume formal talks on Thursday,” Georgette Bradford, a Sacramento, California-based Kaiser ultrasound technician and union member, said in a statement issued late Friday by the coalition.

“Frontline healthcare workers remain ready to continue taking the necessary steps to protect our patients from the dangers of the Kaiser short-staffing crisis and to defend our rights.”

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