Officials with the United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals said in a statement there has been “significant movement at the bargaining table” over the past 48 hours, prompting them to call for an end to the strike as of 7 a.m. Tuesday.

The union also called off all picketing activity on Monday as the union and Kaiser “finalize return-to-work agreements.”

The nurses’ strike began on Jan. 26. Union officials called it the “largest open-ended strike of registered nurses and health care professionals in United States history.”

There were no immediate details available about the how close the two sides were to reaching a contract agreement, or what issues may have been resolved.

The roughly 31,000 members of the UNAC/UHCP had vowed to stay on strike until a fair contract agreement was reached. UNAC/UHCP members include registered nurses, pharmacists, nurse anesthetists, nurse practitioners, midwives, physician assistants, rehab therapists, speech language pathologists, dietitians and other specialty health care professionals.

“We’re striking because Kaiser has committed serious unfair labor practices and because Kaiser refuses to bargain in good faith over staffing that protects patients, workload standards that stop moral injury and the respect and dignity that Kaiser caregivers have been denied for far too long,” registered nurse Charmaine Morales, president of UNAC/UHCP, said previously.

Kaiser Permanente countered that it had “proposed 21.5% wage increases — our strongest national bargaining offer ever — and we are prepared to close agreements at local tables now. Employees deserve their raises and patients deserve our full attention, not prolonged disputes.”

Camille Applin-Jones, senior vice president at Kaiser Permanente Southern California, previously described Kaiser’s latest contract offer as “one of the strongest nursing contract offers in California this year” once step increases and local adjustments are factored in.

“Despite the union’s claims, this strike is about wages. This open- ended strike by UNAC/UHCP is unnecessary when such a generous offer is on the table. The strike is designed to disrupt the lives of our patients — the very people we are all here to serve,” Applin-Jones said.

The union filed an unfair labor practice charge against Kaiser with the National Labor Relations Board alleging the company walked away from the bargaining table in December and has attempted to bypass the agreed-upon national bargaining process. The union has been bargaining with Kaiser since last May.

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During National Volunteer Week, Kaiser Permanente recognized Gloria Hayward, who is a volunteer at Moreno Valley Medical Center, and Carol Nelson, who has volunteered at Riverside Medical Center for the past six years.

Haywood makes rounds with hospital patients to ensure their issues are quickly addressed. She is a retired nurse and former day shift manager of a 73-bed emergency department at Kaiser Permanente Northern California.

Meanwhile, longtime volunteer Nelson assists at the information desk, helping members, patients and visitors find their way. She previously served as office manager at the County of Riverside Mental Health department for 13 years, according to KP Riverside.

“We thank our volunteers for their commitment and compassion towards patients and the community. Meet some of the dedicated individuals who are making a difference in Riverside County,” KP Riverside wrote on X.

The Riverside facility’s Volunteer Services program currently offers a range of opportunities for teens, college students and adults. Volunteers can assist in nursing units, the emergency department, pharmacy services, and physical therapy, as well as through programs such as pet therapy visits and music performances for patients.

For students interested in healthcare careers, the Care Ambassador Program offers hands-on experience in a clinical setting. Volunteers also support mobile health outreach, including the facility’s efforts to serve under-resourced communities like Hemet via its Mobile Health Vehicle.

During the summer months, teens ages 14 to 17 can apply for a six-week volunteer program that includes administrative support, hospitality roles and creative tasks such as making “Notes of Kindness” for inpatients. Though this year’s application window has closed, the 2026 cycle is expected to open in January.

Applications for adult and college-aged volunteers will reopen in June.

All volunteers are required to attend orientation and health screenings before placement, according to the hospital.
Kaiser Permanente Riverside officials said the volunteer program not only helps bolster patient care but also creates a sense of community and compassion throughout the hospital.

Interested in volunteering? Get more information here.

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Mental health workers represented by the National Union of Healthcare Workers prepared for the strike over the weekend after declining Kaiser’s terms on Friday.

Kaiser in a written statement said it is notifying patients whose appointments could be affected by the strike. “Patients will have the opportunity to be seen by another professional in our extensive network of highly qualified, licensed therapists, if their regular provider is engaged in a strike,” the statement read.

The previous strike in 2022 among mental health clinicians in Northern California lasted 10 weeks and led to a commitment from Kaiser to hire more therapists and to give employees specific work hours away from face-to-face patient care.

Southern California Kaiser workers now are asking for more time in between appointments to prepare for patients. They also want wage increase and a pension benefit that the company provides to its Northern California clinicians. 

“It’s pretty simple,” said psychological social worker William Johnson, a union steward who serves on the bargaining committee. “We’re looking for the same three top priorities that Kaiser already said ‘Yes’ to for our Northern California mental healthcare workers.”

Johnson said his current workload includes seeing 32 to 35 patients a week in one-hour sessions.

Kaiser released a statement in response to the union’s plans to strike, saying, “unfortunately this comes as no surprise, as this seems to have been their intention all along.”

The company has offered wage increases amounting to 18% over four years and a number of other perks, according to the statement. Kaiser representatives said they have invested more than a billion dollars expanding mental health capabilities in California and increased the number of  licensed mental health clinicians in Southern California by 30% over the past four years.

But union members say turnover has been a problem, with a quarter of therapists hired between January 2021 and August 2024 leaving their jobs. 

“Kaiser leadership has consistently been dismissive whenever we voice our concerns or experiences,” said Johnson. “They like to tell us things like, ‘We get that it’s not ideal,’ and they also add, ‘But it works for us.’”

Jared Garcia, another union steward on the bargaining committee, said he’s hoping the strike lasts less than a month, but he’s prepared to see it go on as long as it takes.

“Scabs aren’t going to work,” said Garcia. “Kaiser knows the limitations of finding mental health professionals – let alone to replace 2,400 of our union members at this time.”

A year ago, Kaiser entered into a $200 million settlement agreement with the state of California, agreeing to pay a $50 million fine and invest another $150 million over five years to address delays in behavioral health appointments.

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Two Kaiser Permanente Northern California hospitals are among the top cardiothoracic surgery hospitals in the United States after being recognized by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) with the highest rating for isolated coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) procedures.

In the latest STS ratings, Kaiser Permanente San Francisco and Santa Clara received an overall three-star rating for CABG procedures from January 2021 to December 2023. Kaiser Permanente Sacramento’s cardiovascular surgery team also received an overall three-star rating for CABG procedures. Kaiser Permanente Northern California has three cardiac surgical programs in Sacramento, San Francisco, and Santa Clara.

The STS three-star rating, which denotes the highest category of quality, places Kaiser Permanente San Francisco and Santa Clara along with the Kaiser Permanente Sacramento’s cardiovascular surgery team among the top 23% of participants performing heart bypass surgery in the United States and Canada.

“This recognition highlights our commitment to cardiac-care excellence, which saves lives and sets a remarkable standard for health care professionals nationwide,” said Maria Ansari, MD, FACC, chief executive officer and executive director of The Permanente Medical Group. “I’ve witnessed the commitment, dedication, and expertise of our cardiac teams, and it gives me great pride to see all of our centers of cardiac excellence achieve this milestone again.”

Kaiser Permanente Santa Clara and San Francisco have performed approximately 2,800 CABG procedures over the past three years. Kaiser Permanente Sacramento’s cardiovascular surgery team has performed approximately 1,100 CABG procedures over the past three years. CABG is a procedure used to treat coronary artery disease and improve blood flow to the heart. The procedure is also known as bypass surgery, coronary artery bypass surgery, and heart bypass surgery.

Cardiac care specialists in Kaiser Permanente Northern California perform a full array of adult cardiac surgical procedures, including coronary artery bypass, valve repair or replacement, aortic dissection and aneurysm repair, repair of adult cardiac anomalies, and surgical treatment of cardiac tumors, leading to excellent patient outcomes. In our communities, Kaiser Permanente members are 33% less likely to experience premature death due to heart disease, according to a 2022 research study.

“Our Kaiser Permanente teams are committed to providing the highest quality of care leading to positive outcomes for our patients as they chart their journey back to good health,” said Carrie Owen Plietz, FACHE, president of Kaiser Permanente’s Northern California region. “Receiving this three-star rating speaks to the outstanding skills of our cardiac surgical teams and the excellence of our cardiac program throughout Northern California.”

The STS Star rating system is one of the most sophisticated and highly regarded overall measures of quality in health care, rating the benchmarked outcomes of cardiothoracic surgery programs across the United States and Canada. The star rating is calculated using a combination of quality measures for specific procedures performed by an STS Adult Cardiac Surgery Database participant.

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