A one-day strike is planned for next Monday at Kaiser Permanente, as hundreds of nurse midwives and nurse anesthetists across Northern California prepare to walk off the job. In Sonoma County, roughly 30 of these workers are expected to participate.
According to the Press Democrat, the union, which represents these health care professionals, says the strike is a response to proposed salary and benefit cuts and is an effort to secure better staffing and improved patient care. A local nurse midwife in Santa Rosa said the goal is to protect the “gold standard” of care at Kaiser.
Kaiser Permanente called the planned strike “disappointing” but said it has robust plans to keep its hospitals and medical offices open and running smoothly. The health care provider also stated it has hired thousands of new employees this year and meets or exceeds state-mandated staffing levels. The union noted that while a strike is planned, picketing is currently only scheduled for Kaiser medical centers in Oakland and Roseville.
