About 2,400 Kaiser Permanente mental health therapists, social workers and psychologists plan to hold a one-day unfair labor practice strike March 18, according to a news release from the National Union of Healthcare Workers shared with Becker’s.
The workers provide care to patients in the Bay Area, Central Valley and Sacramento regions. The strike is scheduled to run from 6 a.m. March 18 to 6 a.m. March 19, with picket lines planned outside medical centers in Oakland, Sacramento, Fresno, Santa Rosa and Santa Clara.
NUHW represents about 19,000 healthcare workers in California and Hawaii, including more than 4,700 Kaiser mental health professionals in California, the release said. Oakland, Calif.-based Kaiser Permanente serves approximately 12.6 million members across eight states and Washington, D.C.
Union members authorized the strike in February. According to NUHW, the therapists have been working without a contract since Sept. 30.
The union alleges Kaiser unilaterally overhauled its mental health triage system and is proposing contract changes that would weaken patient care safeguards and allow greater use of artificial intelligence and outsourcing in care delivery. NUHW also cited recent state and federal settlements related to Kaiser’s mental health services.
In a statement shared with Becker’s, Lionel Sims, senior vice president of human resources for Kaiser Permanente Northern California, said the organization is “disappointed that NUHW leadership has chosen to call on their members to walk away from patients for a day while we are still at the bargaining table.” He also rejected claims that Kaiser intends to replace clinicians with artificial intelligence, saying AI tools are intended to support clinicians and do not replace human assessment or care decisions.
Mr. Sims added that Kaiser has plans in place to ensure continuity of care should the strike occur.
