Kaiser Permanente Employees Launch the Largest Strike in American Healthcare History

Among the requests from employees is a $25-an-hour minimum wage for workers. In an AP Press interview,  Jacquelyn  Duley, a Radiation Technologist, said, “Kaiser has not been bargaining with us in good faith, and it’s pushing us to come out here and strike. We’re looking for a 6% raise just to keep up with inflation.” Inflation has been an ongoing saga for many workers nationwide, making it difficult to stretch the same number of dollars even further.

Roughly 75,000 Kaiser Permanente workers walked off the job early yesterday in the largest healthcare strike in US history. pic.twitter.com/LoMmLTQYFU

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Healthcare workers are already taxed from the toll the pandemic has taken on their industry. Michelle Gaskill-Hames, a Kaiser Executive, empathetically stated, “We’re committed to paying fair wages, but at the same time, we know there’s an affordability crisis in healthcare, and we’ve got to balance that to make sure we’re good stewards of our members’ dollars.”

Union officials informed USA TODAY that the unions are urging Kaiser to enhance staffing levels, strained during the COVID-19 pandemic, and address cost-of-living increases in wages and benefits.

Photo Courtesy: ©Getty Images/Justin Sullivan / Staff

Video Courtesy: Reuters via YouTube

Meg writes about everyday life within the love of Christ. Join her on the journey as she launches her new site Joy Overflowing, or join her longstanding community at Sunny&80. She is also the author of “Friends with Everyone, Friendship within the Love of Christ,” “Surface, Unlocking the Gift of Sensitivity,” “Glory Up, The Everyday Pursuit of Praise,” “Home, Finding Our Identity in Christ,” and “Sent, Faith in Motion (October 2023 release). She earned a Marketing/PR degree from Ashland University but stepped out of the business world to stay home and raise her two daughters …which led her to pursue her writing passion. A contributing writer for Salem Media since 2016, Meg is now thrilled to be a part of the editorial team as the Editor of ChristianHeadlines.com. Always active in her community and the local church, Meg also leads Bible study and serves as a leader for teen girls. 

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