In a Feb. 6 letter, Mr. Newsom requested Kaiser Permanente and striking mental health workers, represented by the National Union of Healthcare Workers, enter a mediation process as soon as possible to end the strike.
The thousands of residents facing loss and displacement as a result of wildfires will intensify the need for mental healthcare in California, Mr. Newsom said.
“Getting our full behavioral health workforce back to work gives us the best chance to address the needs that will undoubtedly grow in the weeks and months to come in the Los Angeles region and elsewhere,” Mr. Newsom wrote.
Around 2,400 mental health therapists, social workers, psychiatric nurses and psychologists at Kaiser Permanente’s Southern California facilities have been on strike since Oct. 21.
The striking workers are demanding additional hours to respond to patient calls and emails and perform other administrative tasks, as well as pension and wage increases.
In a Feb. 7 statement shared with Becker’s, Sal Rosselli, president emeritus of the National Union of Healthcare Workers, said the group has accepted the governor’s request to enter mediation.
“We greatly appreciate the governor’s strong commitment to behavioral healthcare and his willingness to help reach a fair settlement to end the strike,” Mr. Roselli said. “It’s time for Kaiser to stop its delay tactics that have caused unnecessary suffering for so many patients, agree to the governor’s request and join us in selecting an appropriate mediator and reaching a speedy agreement.”
In a statement shared with Becker’s Feb. 7, Kaiser Permanente said the governor’s office has been engaged throughout the strike.
“[The office has] been clear that they want it to be resolved,” the system said. “And we have been clear about our position as well. We are certainly open to mediation at this stage. But the union has to be willing to engage in constructive negotiations.”
The two sides have a bargaining session set for Feb. 17, according to the National Union of Health Care Workers. The session was scheduled before the governor’s request for mediation.
In 2022, Mr. Newsom helped resolve a 10-week strike by Kaiser Permanente mental health workers in northern California, according to the National Union of Health Care Workers. The deal included additional hours for therapists to handle administrative tasks and pay increases for bilingual therapists.
