Over 30,000 healthcare workers went on strike again this morning at Kaiser Permanente hospitals and clinics across California and Hawaii, including two medical centers in Orange County.
The healthcare workers, consisting of the United Nurses Associations of California and the Union of Health Care Professionals (UNAC/UHCP) went on strike as of 7 a.m. this morning.
The strike is expected to continue until an agreement is reached, according to a news release from union leaders.
Members on strike include registered nurses, pharmacists, midwives, physician assistants, rehab therapists, speech language pathologists and other specialty health care professionals.
“We’re not going on strike to make noise,” Charmaine S. Morales, president of UNAC/UHCP, said in a Friday afternoon statement.
“We’re striking because Kaiser has committed serious unfair labor practices and because Kaiser refuses to bargain in good faith over staffing that protects patients, workload standards that stop moral injury, and the respect and dignity that Kaiser caregivers have been denied for far too long,” Morales said.
The statement emphasizes that workers are striking mainly due to what they consider unsafe staffing levels and unfair compensation. In Orange County, Anaheim Medical Center and Irvine Medical Center are affected by ongoing strikes.
“When Kaiser says it doesn’t have resources to fix staffing, what we hear is that a nonprofit health care organization would rather protect an enormous financial cushion than protect patients and the people who care for them,” Morales said.
Other reasons for the strike include alleged rising workloads, low wages and reductions to benefits and retirement. Union representatives also claim Kaiser management left the bargaining table in December, causing negotiations to stall.
In a statement released Saturday, Kaiser representatives said the organization has been bargaining with unions over a new set of national and local contracts for over seven months.
“These negotiations come at a time when health care costs are rising, and millions of Americans are at risk of losing access to health coverage,” reads the statement from Kaiser. “This underscores our responsibility to deliver fair, competitive pay for employees while protecting access and affordability for our members.”
Health care workers strike in front of the Kaiser Permanente hospital at the Anaheim Medical Center Oct. 14, 2025. Credit: JULIE LEOPO, Voice of OC
Kaiser representatives called the strike “unnecessary.”
“Despite the union’s claims, this strike is about wages,” Kaiser’s statement continues. “This open-ended strike by UNAC/UHCP is unnecessary when such a generous offer is on the table. The strike is designed to disrupt the lives of our patients — the very people we are all here to serve.”
It comes after healthcare professionals represented by the same unions went on strike in October for about a week, marking today’s strike as the second since bargaining began.
[Read: Kaiser Health Care Employees Strike for Better Pay, Staffing]
More Healthcare Workers to Join Strike
Scores of other healthcare professionals are expected to join picket lines as more strikes are authorized.
Over the weekend, United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 770 representing Kaiser Permanente pharmacy employees delivered a 10-day strike notice to Kaiser executives.
That means additional healthcare professionals are expected to join the strike Tuesday morning at 7 a.m. at select locations in Los Angeles and Bakersfield. No other Orange County locations are expected to be impacted by these additional striking employees.
“When workers are punished for speaking up about safety and workload, patients pay the price through longer waits and delayed prescriptions,” said Angelica Muro, a pharmacy technician at Kaiser Permanente in West Los Angeles, in a statement. “Kaiser’s actions don’t just violate labor law, they violate the trust our patients place in us every day.”
Hundreds of caregivers at Kindred hospitals in Brea and Westminster are also expected to launch a three-day strike beginning Tuesday as they also seek a contract that addresses increased wages and staffing.
Picket lines for these strikes are expected to begin Tuesday at 8:30 a.m. at the Kindred Hospitals in Brea and Westminster.
The Kindred strike comes after five months of contract negotiations.
“We’re seeking a contract that will help us better support our families and better care for our patients,” Elias Hernandez, a monitor technician at Kindred Hospital Brea, said in a Monday morning statement. “We know that low wages results in unsafe staffing levels and inadequate care, and we’re not going to let Kindred continue to exploit us and the patients we serve.”
Representatives from Kindred Hospitals have not responded to emailed requests for comment as of the publication of this article.
Hospitals to Stay Open
At the same time, hospitals are expected to remain open.
Kaiser representatives say they’ve been prepped for months to ensure patients can still receive care.
“In some cases, we’re shifting appointments to virtual care (phone, video, or e-chat) and may need to reschedule certain appointments, elective surgeries, and procedures,” reads Kaiser’s statement regarding the strike.
“Our facilities will be staffed by physicians, experienced managers, and trained staff, with added licensed contract professionals as needed,” it continues. “We’re onboarding nurses, clinicians, and other staff to work during the strike, the majority of whom have worked at Kaiser Permanente before.”
Kaiser leaders say they’re prepared to end negotiations.
“We have proposed 21.5% wage increases — our strongest national bargaining offer ever — and we are prepared to close agreements at local tables now. Employees deserve their raises, and patients deserve our full attention, not prolonged disputes.”
Angelina Hicks is the Voice of OC Collegiate News Service Editor. Contact her at ahicks@voiceofoc.org or on Twitter @angelinahicks13.
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