‘A slap in the face’: nurses’ strike signals Kaiser’s end as union haven

msn.com ^ | 11/13/2021 | Steven Greenhouse

[rktman]

Across corporate America, relations between companies and their labor unions range from chilly to ice-cold. Not at Kaiser Permanente – the California-based healthcare giant. Kaiser has long been seen as having the nation’s best labor-management partnership. Now the partnership finds itself in crisis as 34,000 Kaiser Permanente healthcare workers prepare to strike on Monday, in what would be the largest walkout in this fall’s strike wave.

It certainly caused a strong reaction in Semanu Mawugbe, a Kaiser nurse in Los Angeles. “It’s a slap in the face,” he said, noting that the 1%-a-year offer was well below this year’s 5%-plus inflation rate. “They tell us we’re heroes and we’re much appreciated because of everything we did during the pandemic”, he said. “But their offer shows they don’t mean it. We’re the ones who sustained the hospitals and took care of the sick like it’s a war zone.” The unions say Kaiser is seeking to squeeze wages when the non-profit company is doing well, with $45bn in cash reserves and $6.8bn in operating profits the last three years.

Since Kaiser’s labor-management partnership was founded in 1997, none of its 35 union locals has gone on strike. The partnership includes over 100,000 union members. Kaiser overall has $89bn in annual revenues, 12 million health plan members, 39 hospitals and more than 700 other medical facilities spread across eight states and Washington DC.

[rktman]

Money not mandates .

[moovova]

Maybe they should demand $450,000.

[Kevmo]

$45bn in cash reserves and $6.8bn in operating profits the last three years.... Kaiser overall has $89bn in annual revenues,
***They should write their contract such that their raise is proportional to Annual Revenues + Operating Profits + Cash Reserves.

[who_would_fardels_bear]

Cash reserves? Sounds like they’re ready for an LBO so some bigger scumbags can make money doing nothing. Mittens needs to get on this pronto.

[PeterPrinciple]

They tell us we’re heroes and we’re much appreciated because of everything we did during the pandemic”

---

Sometimes you just have to listen to people. That is his lead statement? Of course this is filtered through the reporter...............

[PeterPrinciple]

when the non-profit company is doing well,

---

but, but, but..............it’s a nonprofit, not evil capitalism.

[fruser1]

Ok, give them 5% but no extra money for overtime.

[delta7]

Don’t kid yourself, this walk out is about the forced jab, not pay. Much like the American and Southwest airline walk outs, they as union members are only allowed to strike for certain reasons- and refusing the jab is not one of them.

[rktman]

NEVER “trust” the media. EVER!

[rktman]

LOL! Ju$t check the $allarie$ of the upper level$ of $ome bigger “non-profit$”.

[delta7]

https://fox40.com/news/local-news/medical-workers-protest-kaiser-permanente-in-roseville-over-vaccine-mandate/

…” Nurses and emergency room technicians were among the protesters and those who spoke with FOX40 said opposing California’s and their employer’s vaccine mandate is about personal choice when it comes to medical interventions.

Roseville nurses protest Kaiser’s vaccine mandate

“We as health care workers and citizens are educated, intelligent people capable of making our own health decisions,” said one nurse protestor. “Nurses are taught in nursing school the nursing code of ethics which includes autonomy, the obligation to respect individual decision making whether we agree with it or …”

The walk out has many reasons…..

[Leaning Right]

I wonder if Kaiser’s top executives were offered the same 1% pay raise as were the healthcare workers.

[rktman]

There was supposedly a strike action planned for 11/11. Never saw anything. Bueller?

[rktman]

Thanks.

[goodnesswins]

Now set for 11/15

[ridesthemiles]

HOW can they be NON-PROFIT with $45 BILLION in ‘reserves’?????

[ridesthemiles]

NON-PROFIT???

NO TAXES PAID????

[rktman]

This one yes, but IIRC a general strike of various “unpatriotic, selfish Americans” was set for 11/11. Hmmmm!😕

[cgbg]

Any strike for any reason is good right now—all large corporate owners are treating their employees like farm animals with the vaxx mandates.

F^%$ em all.

[farming pharmer]

I wonder if Kaiser’s top executives were offered the same 1% pay raise as were the healthcare workers.

Hospital executives are some of the most elitist, entitled scumbags you'd ever *not* want to meet. The executive nurse at my state's largest catholic hospital chain was busying herself fanning out emails to the staff about reading "White Fragility". She was actually promoted after that.

Remember, Michelle Obama had a 'patronage' job at a hospital in Chicago where she was paid, but hardly showed up for work.

I've actually met people who I suspect had the same type of 'patronage' position. Nobody really knows what they do, or how they got there.

Don't kid yourself, hospital executives reward themselves handsomely.