Kaiser Permanente employees say they’ll strike Oct. 4 if wages and staffing demands aren’t met
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- Kaiser Permanente and union leaders are currently negotiating a new contract, as their existing one is set to lapse Sept. 30.
The union sent the healthcare company a notice they would strike from Oct. 4-6 if their demands surrounding wages and staffing weren't met.
"I think for most of us within Kaiser right now, we know that this is just a step we have to take. Our patients are already being affected. There are patients who are waiting months on end for simple procedures for scans. So, this is just a step we have to take to be like, 'Hey, listen to us.' Open your eyes," said Emily Barrera, a Kaiser employee in Colorado Springs.
Barrera is a medical assistant with Kaiser; she's the one who takes patient vitals, administers shots, and brings patients back to see doctors. Yet while she loves her work, she says there are sizable problems.
"We want to be the ones who our patients can turn to and know, like, 'Okay, when I go to Kaiser, I'm going to get what I need,'" said Barrera. "So when they're getting a turnaround time of three, four or five plus months, it's disheartening."
The union is demanding more staffing and livable wages, and if that's not done in a timely manner, they'll strike.
"Of course we're worried," said Barrera. "It's definitely the last thing we want to do as health care workers, but we know it's a step we're going to have to take."
In a statement, Kaiser wrote that a notice of a strike doesn't mean a strike will happen, and they're coming to the table with efforts to negotiate.
Kaiser said they already made commitments to hiring at the beginning of the year and they're aggressively recruiting to fill more spots.
They also said they've promised a nationwide minimum wage and further wage increases.
Kaiser said they're hopeful a deal will be made and a strike won't happen, but if it does, they say they have plans in place to make sure patients aren't impacted.
