About 85,000 Kaiser Permamente workers voted to ratify a new contract, putting to end what was the largest strike in the history of the healthcare industry. The new contract includes terms for higher wages, more employee education, increased hiring and retention efforts, and greater involvement of frontline workers in the health system’s staffing decisions.
The Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions announced that it will soon begin conducting strike authorization votes among its 85,000 members. The coalition’s chief concern is Kaiser’s dangerous staffing levels, which members say have led to excessively long wait times, patient neglect and mistaken diagnosis. If the coalition authorizes and implements the strike, it will become the largest strike of healthcare workers in the history of the U.S.
Munck Wilson Mandala Partner Greg Howison shared his perspective on some of the legal ramifications around AI, IP, connected devices and the data they generate, in response to emailed questions.
About 21,000 Kaiser Permanente nurses in Northern California ratified a new four-year contract — one that includes provisions for a 22.5% wage increase, improved staffing and more. The contract's approval comes about two weeks after Kaiser reached an agreement with California Nurses Association to avert what would have been the biggest private sector nurses strike in American history.
As of publication, nearly 2,000 Kaiser Permanente mental health workers still had to ratify the vote, and would participate in a two-day process to do so.