The Strike at Kaiser
CounterPunchNov 24, 2022
The Facts
More than 75K unionized employees at Kaiser Permanente went on strike Wednesday at healthcare facilities in five states, amid a dispute between labor negotiators and the company over staffing levels.
Employees in Virginia and Washington, D.C., California, Colorado, Washington, and Oregon, began striking today in what will be the largest healthcare workers strike in U.S. history.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
While there's no question that staffing shortages and employee burnout are an issue at Kaiser Permanente, these issues are affecting the entire healthcare industry, not just this company. It is unfair to blame Kaiser for an entire sector's problem. Additionally, Kaiser already has better compensation and benefits packages than most companies. A strike was unnecessary.
Establishment-critical narrative
Kaiser management failed to adequately address worker's concerns about unsafe staffing levels. Previous negotiations have not been done in good faith and a fair outcome has not yet been achieved. While unfortunate, a strike is necessary to improve working conditions, and staffing levels, which will improve the quality of patient care. This is another example of America's simmering labor movements.
