In summary
The strike is the second in just over two years by mental health workers at Kaiser Permanente in California. The clock is ticking to avoid a strike.
Welcome to CalMatters. We are the only nonprofit newsroom dedicated to issues that affect all Californians. Sign up for WhatMatters to receive the latest news and commentary on the Golden State’s most important issues.
Mental health workers at Kaiser Permanente in California are preparing to go on strike for the second time in more than two years, citing stressful working conditions, lack of pensions and inadequate pay. As a result, patient care is being affected.
The National Health Care Workers Union, which represents approximately 2,400 Kaiser Permanente behavioral health workers in Southern California, formally notified the health care giant Thursday that its members will begin an indefinite strike on Oct. 21.
By then, the union and company must reach an agreement to avoid a strike. Kaiser said in a written statement that it is making “necessary preparations” to ensure patients receive care in the event of a strike.
The last Kaiser Mental Health Strike involving mental health workers in Northern California took place in 2022 and lasted nearly 10 weeks. These workers ultimately won certain concessions, including higher wages and more hours each week to perform patient care tasks such as completing medical records and responding to emails.
Southern California mental health workers said they are now asking Kaiser to receive what their colleagues upstate are receiving.
Kaiser representatives said in an emailed statement that they have made a strong proposal to increase wages and provide “industry-leading” benefits. They say they have invested more than $1 billion in expanding California’s mental health capacity since 2020, and that the threat of a strike is a commonly used bargaining tactic that “leads our members to unnecessary concern.” “It’s a distraction that causes…
“Kaiser Permanente remains steadfast in our goal of building a better model of mental health care for our members and the communities we serve,” the statement said. It is being
Mental health worker turnover rate
But union organizers say the company has done nothing of the sort and has in fact been unable to bring meaningful solutions to the bargaining table.
Become a CalMatters member today to stay informed, power nonpartisan news, and spread knowledge across California.
They point out that a quarter of the 1,508 therapists employed by Kaiser Southern California from January 2021 to August 2024 have since left. Some of them went on to take well-paying jobs providing virtual therapy to Kaiser patients in Northern California, he said. The difference between the two is that mental health workers in Northern California receive pensions. Southern Californians don’t.
Cassaundra Gutierrez Thompson, a Los Angeles psychiatric counselor who has worked in Kaiser’s virtual ADAPT program for two years, says she doesn’t even have time for bathroom breaks. She says she sees up to 14 patients a day. Some of her colleagues are seeing even more. She said that during each 30-minute visit, she is expected to recommend treatments, schedule the next visit, fill out the patient’s chart and take bathroom breaks as needed.
She said work stress caused her to develop migraines and “my own mental health deteriorated.” She said some of her colleagues have reported stress dreams and panic attacks.
“This has become a bit of a factory for clinicians who are really burnt out, and it’s also a factory for patients,” she said.
Kaiser Permanente Mental Health Settlement
The union issued a strike notice just before another important milestone in the fight for mental health care at Kaiser.
A year ago, Kaiser entered into a $200 million settlement agreement with the state of California, requiring it to pay a $50 million fine and invest an additional $150 million over five years to fix serious problems in its behavioral health system. agreed.
Representatives from the National Health Care Workers Union said the health care giant has not yet finalized a corrective action plan with the Office of Managed Care.
A Kaiser representative said the company is working on that plan. “At the same time, we started on a path of transformation over a year ago and while we have made progress, we know there is still much work to do. “As we continue to address challenges, we remain committed to working with (the authorities) to meet the needs of our members and communities and addressing the authorities’ findings,” the company said in a written statement. statement.
Meanwhile, Fred Seavey, director of research for the United Health Care Workers Union, said many therapists are reporting continued violations of the same laws that got Kaiser into trouble.
“I don’t understand why Mr. Kaiser would be allowed to break the law after a year,” he said. “How long will these violations last? Why don’t they fix them?”
Lisa Carroll, an intensive care unit social worker at Kaiser San Diego Medical Center, said she has seen a “continuous decline in the continuum of care” at the company during her 17 years working there. During that time, she reportedly went on strike many times.
“I’m retiring in a year and a half,” she said. “I’d like to be able to say things are at least as good as they were when I got here. They’re not.”
“CalMatters sets the bar high, offering dedicated coverage and expert reporters who ask the tough questions and hold leaders accountable.”
Montrose, Marisela
Featured CalMatters Members
Our members make our mission possible.
div{flex-basis: unset ! important;flex-grow: 1 ! important;}.single-post .cm-cta.cm-cta-testimonial h6{text-align: left;}.cm-cta.cm-cta -testimonial .cm-cta-center-col{align-items: center ! important;gap: 12px;}.cm-cta.cm-cta-testimonial .primary-cols.wp-block-columns{gap: 40px;} .cm-cta.cm-cta-testimonial .btn-col{flex-basis:fit-content;flex-grow:0;}.cm-cta.cm-cta-testimonial .cm-cta-center-col > div {flex-basis: auto;}.cm-cta.cm-cta-testimonial .wp-block-buttons{min-width: 98px;}@media screen and (max-width: 782px){.single .cm-cta .cm-cta-testimonial .cm-cta-center-col > div{flex-basis: min-content;}.cm-cta.cm-cta-testimonial > .wp-block-group__inner-container{grid-template- Column: auto;}.cm-cta.cm-cta-testimonial .wp-block-button.btn-light .wp-block-button__link{Padding: 7px 24px;}div.cm-cta.cm-cta-testimonial{ Padding: 16px;}.cm-cta.cm-cta-testimonial h6{text-align: left;}.cm-cta.cm-cta-testimonial .primary-cols.wp-block-columns,.cm-cta. cm-cta-testimonial .cm-cta-center-col.is-not-stacked-on-mobile{gap: 16px;}.cm-cta.cm-cta-testimonial .btn-02-detail-05{font- size: 12px;line-height: 16px;}.cm-cta.cm-cta-testimonial .mob-p-12{padding: 12px;}}))>
Source link
