Topline
Kaiser Permanente—one of the nation’s largest health organizations—has reached a tentative agreement with the union representing more than 75,000 healthcare workers, ending the largest-ever healthcare strike in U.S. history, though details about the deal were not immediately disclosed.
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Key Facts
A deal between healthcare workers of the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions and Kaiser Permanente was announced Friday morning by the Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers, which noted that a full announcement would follow.
Key Background
An agreement between striking healthcare workers and Kaiser Permanente follows stalled contract negotiations after a 72-hour strike last week. The strike included workers across six states, including vocational nurses, nursing assistants, emergency department technicians, x-ray technicians, about 400 registered nurses in Southern California and other staff, like maintenance and janitorial staff, a spokesperson for the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions told Forbes. The union and Kaiser agreed to initial tentative agreements on some union requests, including better reporting and tracking of job vacancies and increased travel funding for those continuing their education. Disputes continued on increased wages, raises and performance bonuses amid a rising cost of living, retiree medical plans and protection against subcontractors. The union threatened to strike for eight days in November if a deal was not reached by October 31, according to CNN.
Surprising Fact
A strike involving more than 75,000 Kaiser Permanente workers is the largest major work stoppage in the healthcare sector since 2018, when 53,000 workers held a 72-hour strike amid a dispute between the University of California Health and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees and two other unions, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Tangent
About 4,000 unionized workers from Mack Trucks’ plants across three states announced they would go on strike Monday, after the United Auto Workers union rejected a tentative contract by the Volvo-owned company. The Mack Truck strike adds to a nationwide strike by UAW’s workers against Ford, General Motors and Stellantis, totaling nearly 25,000 UWA-represented workers across the U.S.
Further Reading
Over 75,000 Kaiser Permanente Health Workers Begin Striking—Biggest Healthcare Walkout In U.S. History (Forbes)