Hundreds of Kaiser Permanente workers picketed at Santa Rosa medical offices Wednesday afternoon. It was called a protest and not a strike. Workers picketed for hours calling for better staffing and better pay. It was organized by SEIU-UHW which is currently negotiating a labor agreement. Kaiser tells the Press Democrat that the protest was simply an “attempt to create bargaining leverage” rather than address staffing issues. Kaiser also disagrees with the wage demands, specifically for the same wage increases for every part of the country, regardless of what wage rates are in those markets.