California Nurses to Strike Kaiser Hospitals

About 1,100 nurses representing unionized nurses across Southern California took to the picket lines at Kaiser Los Angeles Medical Center today as part of a statewide strike against reductions of workers’ health care coverage and retirement benefits.

Leighton Woodhouse of the National Union of Healthcare Workers said as many as 23,000 health care workers, including some from the California Nurses Association – will be taking part in picketing at Kaiser Permanente facilities across the state.

According to Woodhouse, the union has members in nearly every Kaiser Permanente facility, including a clinic in San Dimas and a hospital Baldwin Park.

Depending on the location, the strikes will last anywhere from one to three days.

Nurses picketed today at Kaiser Los Angeles Medical Center, with walkouts expected to last until Friday, said Woodhouse.

According to the union, nurses have been unable to afford their own health care even as Kaiser has reduced staffing while taking in billions of dollars of revenue over the last two years and a half.

“... And now, Kaiser wants to cut workers' benefits too, even though
Kaiser executives have eight pension plans each,” said registered nurse LaNeta Fitzhugh. “It's outrageous.''

In a statement from Kaiser, a representative from the nonprofit entity said the hospital will aim to “minimize the impact on our services and on our members' and patients' care during and after the work stoppage.''

“We want you all to know that the nurses and other health care workers who are on strike are valued members of our health-care team and we look forward to welcoming our employees back when the strike concludes,'' according to Kaiser. “Providing quality health care and ensuring the safety of our members and patients is our highest priority.''

- City News Service contributed to this story