LOS ANGELES — A massive health care strike over wages and staffing shortages headed into its final day on Friday without a deal between industry giant Kaiser Permanente and the unions representing thecarried out in multiple states will officially end Saturday at 6 a.m., and workers were expected to return to their jobs in Kaiser’s hospitals and clinics that serve nearly 13 million Americans.
The company based in Oakland, California, warned the work stoppage could cause delays in people getting appointments and scheduling non-urgent procedures. Kaiser, which turned a $2.1 billion profit for the quarter, said in a statement Wednesday that it proposes minimum hourly wages between $21 and $23 depending on the location. The company said it also completed hiring 10,000 more people, adding to the 51,000 workers the hospital system has brought on board since 2022.Union members say understaffing is boosting the hospital system’s profits but hurting patients, and executives have been bargaining in bad faith during negotiations.
The White House on Thursday said President Joe Biden “always” supports union members who choose to strike when asked about the demonstration by Kaiser workers. The president last month joinedon the 12th day of their strike against major carmakers, becoming the first known sitting president in U.S. history to join an active picket line.