Kaiser Permanente health care workers strike. How you could be impacted
More than 75,000 Kaiser Permanente workers across the nation went on strike Wednesday, marking the largest health care worker strike in U.S. history.
About 4,000 health care workers in Oregon and southwest Washington are on strike until Saturday unless the two sides reach an agreement, according to union representative Alan Dubinsky.
Kaiser's Oregon locations include Salem, Keizer, Eugene, Aumsville, McMinnville, Oregon City and the Portland metro area.
The strike, which will last for three days, is in protest of what employees allege are unfair labor practices and unsafe staffing levels in hospitals and clinics.
The Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions began a bargaining process in April to negotiate staffing levels, saying that understaffing leads to employees being overworked and left with inadequate support, increases wait times and raises the risks of misdiagnoses and patient neglect.
The unions are asking for larger pay hikes and annual performance bonuses that would equal a percentage of their wages.
Kaiser pharmacists and pharmacy technicians went on strike Sunday. That strike could last until Oct. 21.
Who is on strike?
The strike involves a range of positions, including vocational nurses, nursing assistants, emergency department technicians, radiology technicians, ultrasound sonographers, respiratory therapists, X-ray technicians, dietary services, behavioral health workers, surgical technicians, pharmacy technicians, transporters, home health aides, phlebotomists, medical assistants, teleservice workers and housekeepers.
It does not include physicians.
A separate strike involves pharmacists and pharmacy technicians.
Health care workers strike: What if I have an appointment?
Health care workers at most Kaiser facilities in Oregon and southwest Washington will be on strike Wednesday through Friday, including employees at North Lancaster Medical Offices in Salem.
Kaiser facilities may be contacting patients to reschedule elective surgeries and non-urgent appointments, Kaiser confirmed.
They will contact affected patients in advance, so anyone with an appointment for this week does not need to attempt to reschedule if they are not contacted.
Services will remain available at hospitals and emergency departments.
Pharmacy strike: What about my prescriptions?
Pharmacies at hospitals and urgent care clinics will remain open, but many Kaiser pharmacy locations will be closed, including Keizer Station Medical Office Pharmacy. The Skyline Medical Office pharmacy in south Salem is open.
Affected patients can refill their prescriptions by mail or at a different location by going to kp.org/pharmacy or using the Kaiser Permanente app.
Kaiser Permanente also partners with local retail pharmacies, which may be able to refill urgent prescriptions. Patients can call the number on their prescription bottle label to speak with a pharmacy representative.
Other questions?
Call the member services contact center at 1-800-813-2000 with any additional questions.
Those in need of language interpretation services should call 1-800-324-8010.
USA Today Network reporter Ken Alltucker contributed to this article. Sydney Wyatt covers healthcare inequities in the Mid-Willamette Valley for the Statesman Journal. Send comments, questions, and tips to her at SWyatt@gannett.com, (503) 399-6613, or on Twitter @sydney_elise44
The Statesman Journal’s coverage of healthcare inequities is funded in part by the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust, which seeks to strengthen the cultural, social, educational, and spiritual base of the Pacific Northwest through capacity-building investments in the nonprofit sector.
This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Kaiser Permanente worker strike could impact Oregon patients
