WASHINGTON: Over 75,000 healthcare workers at Kaiser Permanente started one of the largest strikes in recent US history on Wednesday following failing to address a dispute over staffing levels, Western media reported. The strike at America’s major non-profit healthcare organization comes during a year in which an inflation increase has encouraged strike action to demand higher salaries across the US, from Hollywood to Detroit. The strike at Kaiser Permanente started early Wednesday at sites in Virginia and Washington.
US: 75,000 Healthcare Workers Go on Protest Over Staff Shortages, Wages
The three-day strike will be “the largest healthcare worker protest in American history,” the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions said. In a statement, Kaiser Permanente stated it was “disappointed” by the protest, saying it plans to keep its health centers running across the three-day strike.
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“Our medical and health centers will remain open during the protest and will be staffed by our doctors and staff,” it said.
Kaiser Permanente’s protest comes during a year in which the United States has seen an oddly high level of industrial action amid high inflation. Higher prices have decreased the purchasing power of workers in the US, while the increase of generative AI has led to concerns regarding the automation of increasing numbers of jobs. Similarly, over 25,000 workers are on protest in 21 states – about 17 percent of UAW’s 146,000 members — as dialogues continue.
