OAKLAND (KRON) – Thousands of Kaiser Permanente employees in the East Bay rallied demanding better wages and job stability.
Several thousand Oakland employees were joined by local elected officials and union leaders rallied at Mosswood Park and then marched a few blocks to the Kaiser Hospital.
Now, the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions says the health provider has failed to negotiate in good faith.
These workers want better wages, job stability, better staffing and compassionate use of technology.
Several long-time employees said that the culture has changed to Kaiser and not for the better.
“Because Kaiser has lost their way and we want to make sure that they come back to the table with Kaiser to make sure they restore middle-class jobs and stop outsourcing our jobs as well,” Sonya Allen-Smith said.
Kaiser has also released a statement in response to Monday’s rally saying in part that:
“Kaiser Permanente has contracts with 60 unions, and we remain committed to working together…We offer highly competitive salaries and wages while also making health care more accessible and affordable. We may have occasional disagreement, but we always work through these challenges.”
Similar protests to this one were scheduled to happen on Monday in Los Angeles, Sacramento, Denver, and Portland.
This rally could be a taste of things to come.
Union organizers have said that 80,000 Kaiser employees nationwide could go on strike next month if a deal isn’t reached soon.