July 25, 2023; Stockton, CA, USA; Kaiser Permanente employee Yazmin Tarakciglo holds up a sign while walking a picket line outside of the hospital on West Lane near Hammer Lane in Stockton on Tuesday, July 25, 2023. The employees are in contract negotiations with Kaiser Permanente to get more staffing. About 300 Stockton employees joined others from Manteca and Vacaville on Tuesday, and those from Modesto and south Sacramento on Wednesday. Mandatory Credit: Clifford Oto-USA TODAY NETWORK
Los Angeles, California – In the latest chapter of the longest mental health strike in U.S. history, eight Southern California Kaiser Permanente mental health workers staged a five-day hunger strike last week, aiming to draw renewed attention to their prolonged contract battle.
From April 8 through 12, the workers consumed only water and electrolytes while spending eight-hour days picketing outside Kaiser’s Los Angeles Medical Center. At night, they shared cramped sleeping quarters in a West Hollywood church, receiving daily wellness checks from union nurses. The hunger strikers are members of the National Union of Healthcare Workers (NUHW), which has been in contract negotiations with Kaiser since October.
“Kaiser’s trying to starve us out — so give them what they want,” said Adriana Webb, a medical social worker in the infectious disease unit. “I feel hungry for equity. I feel hungry for change.”
The union is demanding increased time between therapy sessions for follow-ups, cost-of-living wage adjustments, and the restoration of pension benefits for employees hired after 2015. Kaiser workers in Northern California received similar concessions after a 10-week strike in 2022.
“We know Kaiser can provide all these things,” Webb said. “Our Northern California counterparts already have them.”
After mediation talks stalled in March, state Health and Human Services Secretary Mark Ghaly and former Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg have agreed to step in. Bargaining is scheduled to resume this week.
Kaiser spokesperson Terry Kanakri defended the company’s bargaining position, noting that every union contract differs due to market conditions and staffing needs. “Our goal is and has always been to reach an agreement that makes Kaiser Permanente the best place to give and receive care,” he said.
Union organizer Rachel Forgash believes Kaiser is dragging out negotiations. “They’re afraid that when we win, other unions will fight just as hard,” she said.
Strikers were joined throughout the week by notable figures, including labor activist Dolores Huerta, U.S. Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove, and musician Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine.
Despite growing support, Kaiser has denied new violations from regulators. However, the union points to a $200 million fine for previous mental health care failures and ongoing staffing issues.
“Patients can’t be treated like numbers,” said hunger striker Ana Vargas Garcia. “There are real lives behind every worker and every patient. That’s why we’re doing this.”
