24,000 Kaiser Permanente workers go on strike

Over 24,000 nurses and other healthcare workers at Kaiser Permanente authorized a strike according to their union on Monday. Workers have threatened authorities to walk out over issues of pay and working conditions. The coronavirus pandemic continues to strain hospitals and clinics in the country. Workers in California and Oregon endorsed the work stoppage by a great margin in a weekend vote as they pressed Kaiser to drop its two-tiered wage and benefits system. The two-tiered system is designed to pay newer employees less than their more tenured colleagues and offer them fewer health protections. Workers are also striking for 4% raises in the next three years and a commitment to hire more nurses to relieve staffing shortages. 

More than 50,000 Kaiser employees across the country are making similar demands in contracts that will soon expire and union leaders say that more strike authorization drives could start in Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Maryland, Virginia, Washington state and D.C. 

Source: The Washington Post