Ongoing contract negotiations between Kaiser and its unionized nurses have reportedly faced roadblocks since their existing deal expired on Aug. 31.

Sep 1, 2026

Updated 2:02 pm PT

Dozens of nurses staged what they called an “informational picket” outside Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center on Sept. 1, 2026, to demand better staffing levels and limits on AI.  (Courtesy of California Nurses Association)

Nurses at nearly two dozen Kaiser facilities across California are picketing to protest their concerns about inadequate staffing and potentially questionable AI practices in the company’s future patient care technology.

The scarlet-clad nurses gathered outside Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center on Tuesday, holding signs and chanting for “safe staffing” levels. 

The Kaiser workers’ latest action is a sign that ongoing contract negotiations between the hospital and its union, the California Nurses Association, are already hitting a snag since their existing deal expired Aug. 31.

Dozens of nurses staged what they called an “informational picket” outside Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center on Tuesday to demand better staffing levels and limits on AI. (Courtesy of California Nurses Association)

Dozens of nurses gathered outside Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center on Sept. 1, 2026.

Workers also voiced their concerns about the steadily increasing use of AI in health care systems, which they believe could adversely impact staffing decisions and patient care.

Outside the center on Broadway, veteran pediatric nurse Craig Cedotal said that, in nearly a dozen bargaining sessions so far, management has failed to properly address his concerns.

Cedotal said he believes Kaiser’s short staffing is evidenced by the Assignment Despite Objection forms that procedure nurses use to signal concerns on a shift. “We’re talking about 5,000 of them altogether,” he said, regarding the volume of forms submitted.

“We know what the problems are — they disagree with what we say — but that’s not uncommon for management to disagree,” he added.

In a statement, Kaiser said it staffs at state-mandated ratios using a system that the company co-developed alongside the California Nurses Association.