More than 2,000 mental health workers at Kaiser Permanente hospitals in Southern California are planning to retire, the union announced Friday.
The National Health Care Workers Union has notified the health care system of a 10-day strike and has begun a countdown to an indefinite strike involving psychologists, social workers, addiction counselors and family therapists, union representatives said. Ta.
Union members, who authorized a strike last week, argue that patients are forced to wait long hours for mental health care because Kaiser Permanente does not have enough staffing.
“We want to be with our patients, but we can’t continue working in a system that doesn’t meet patient needs and treats us like assembly line workers trying to meet quotas,” says Clinical Social Security. said Lisa Delgadillo, a certified worker. Kaiser of Fontana.
Another point of contention is that when mental health workers in Northern California signed a four-year contract with Kaiser after a 10-week strike, the hospital system agreed to increase staffing only at Northern California hospitals and clinics. That’s true.
Southern California workers expect Kaiser to extend the same agreement to their workplaces, the union said.
Mental health professionals serve an estimated 4.8 million Kaiser Permanente members across Southern California, from San Diego to Bakersfield.
Union members and the hospital system are scheduled to meet Tuesday and Thursday, and contract negotiations will continue into next week.
NBCLA has reached out to Kaiser for comment.
