Business & Tech
Kaiser Permanente Works Begin Voting On Whether Or Not To Strike
With contract negotiations at a near standstill, more than 3,400 Kaiser Permanente health care workers are set to vote on striking.
LAKE OSWEGO, OR —More than 3,400 health care workers are voting on whether to strike against Kaiser Permanente. The employees work at Kaiser Permanente facilities across the state.
The current contract expired Sept. 30.
The Oregon Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals, who represent 3,400 people employed by Kaiser in Oregon, said a recent survey of registered nurses who belong to the union found that if the vote were taken now, 93 percent would vote to walk.
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"Striking is always our last resort, but Kaiser seems determined to push forward proposals that would hurt staff, patients, and our entire public health system," Jodi Barschow, a Kaiser RN and President of OFNHP, said.
Find out what's happening in Lake Oswegofor free with the latest updates from Patch.
A vote to authorize a strike does not guarantee that the workers will strike. It just gives union leadership the authorization to call one if its deemed necessary.
"Kaiser needs to do the right thing and put our patients before profits."
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