The biggest healthcare strike in U.S. history is now happening as 75,000 Kaiser Permanente workers are hitting the picket lines Wednesday morning.
Sixty thousand of them work at Kaiser facilities in California and both sides were still at the bargaining table all the way up until 6 a.m.
Anyone in the emergency room right now:
Well, hopefully it won't come to that. Kaiser this morning released a statement claiming that "there has been a lot of progress, with agreements reached on several specific proposals late Tuesday." So maybe they'll work this out before it gets too bad.
According to CNN, the strikers "are represented by a coalition of eight unions that comprise 40% of Kaiser Permanente's total staff." They are striking for higher pay, for more aggressive hiring practices in the wake of severe labor shortages, and for several other concessions.
The strike is currently slated to proceed "for three days, from 6 a.m. Wednesday through 6 a.m. Saturday."
Cornell University "conflict resolution expert" John August, meanwhile, said patients will likely feel at least some pain from the strike:
"Patients will feel an immediate impact, especially if they need lab work, diagnostic imaging, pharmacy and vision care and so on because most of the employees who are the bulk of the workers in those facilities would be on strike."
Plan accordingly if you have any of those needs between now and Saturday (at least).
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