Members of the United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals are set to begin a strike Jan. 26 at more than two dozen Kaiser Permanente hospitals and clinics across California and Hawaii. The union added that the strike “will continue until an agreement is reached.”
Five things to know:
1. The union said Jan. 15 that it delivered a 10-day strike notice to Kaiser Permanente executives on behalf of the 31,000 front-line registered nurses and health professionals it represents. Members include registered nurses, pharmacists, nurse anesthetists, nurse practitioners, midwives, physician assistants, rehab therapists, speech-language pathologists, dietitians and other specialty healthcare professionals.
2. UNAC/UHCP — a member of the Alliance of Health Care Unions — is planning the strike following the expiration of its contract on Sept. 30, 2025. Negotiations for a new agreement began in May 2025.
3. Union members say no agreement has been reached that sufficiently addresses their core concerns, which include safe staffing, timely access to care, fair wages and “respect at the bargaining table.”
4. If the walkout proceeds, it will mark the union’s second strike after a five-day work stoppage in October 2025. That strike ended Oct. 19, with both sides pledging to resume bargaining focused on economic issues.
5. In a Jan. 16 statement, Kaiser said its proposal includes a 21.5% wage increase over the life of the contract, with 16% in the first two years. Step increases and local adjustments would bring the total average increase to approximately 30%, according to the organization. Kaiser said it remains prepared to finalize agreements at the local level and has established plans to ensure patients continue to receive care if a strike occurs.
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