Kaiser Permanente Healthcare Workers Authorize Strike

BEAVERTON, OR — Nurses and other healthcare workers employed by Kaiser Permanente voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike against the company. The union representing the workers said that the 90 percent of members participated in the vote. Of those 90 percent, 96 percent voted to strike.

The two sides have been negotiating for months and, according to the union, have never been all that close. The union says that Kaiser has been offering a 1 percent raise and would like to create a two-tier system that allows them to hire new workers at a lower pay rate.

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Kaiser hasn't commented on specifics of the negotiations but has said several times that they have a history of a good working relationship with its unions and values their work.

The strike vote doesn't mean people will be walking a picket line tomorrow. The agreement between the workers and Kaiser says that the union has to give 10 days noticed before they strike.