Over 31,000 Kaiser Permanente nurses and healthcare workers have launched an open-ended strike across California and Hawaii, forcing vulnerable patients to face delayed surgeries and canceled chemotherapy appointments in what union leaders are calling a crisis of Kaiser’s own making. Massive Walkout Disrupts Patient Care Across Two States Kaiser Permanente facilities across California and Hawaii experienced significant disruptions as 31,000 healthcare workers initiated an open-ended strike on January 26, 2026. The walkout affects 24 hospitals and hundreds of clinics, with approximately 28,000 workers striking in Southern California, 3,000 in Northern California, and 200 in Hawaii. Patients have reported canceled chemotherapy appointments and rescheduled surgeries as Kaiser implements contingency staffing plans. While emergency rooms remain operational, the healthcare system’s ability to provide routine and specialized care faces severe strain from the unprecedented workforce action. Seven Months of Failed Negotiations Spark Labor Crisis Negotiations between Kaiser Permanente and the Alliance of Health Care Unions began in May 2025, marking the longest bargaining period in Kaiser’s national history. The parties remain deadlocked over wages, with unions demanding a 25% increase over four years while Kaiser offers 21.5%. Beyond compensation, unions cite unsafe staffing levels as their primary concern, accusing Kaiser of prioritizing profits over patient safety despite holding $13 billion in reserves. The dispute escalated in December 2025 when unions filed unfair labor practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board, alleging Kaiser walked away from negotiations and engaged in worker intimidation tactics. Pattern of Labor Unrest Reveals Deeper Healthcare Problems This strike represents the second major labor action against Kaiser in four months, following a five-day walkout in October 2025. The recurring disputes highlight systemic issues plaguing the healthcare industry since the COVID-19 pandemic, including chronic understaffing and wage compression in high-cost regions like California and Hawaii. Kaiser’s approach to shifting from national to local bargaining has drawn criticism from union leadership, who view the move as a divide-and-conquer strategy. UNAC/UHCP President Charmaine Morales emphasized that Kaiser’s tactics reveal a disregard for frontline healthcare workers who maintained operations throughout the pandemic, only to face benefit cuts and stagnant wages during record inflation under the previous administration’s fiscal mismanagement. Competing Claims Over Patient Safety and Worker Priorities Kaiser management maintains that facilities remain open and operational, characterizing the union’s wage demands as excessive given their “strongest-ever” compensation package offer. Company representatives argue that unions are prioritizing financial gains over patient welfare, pointing to tentative agreements reached with other Alliance unions following the October strike. Union representatives counter that adequate staffing ratios directly impact patient outcomes and that Kaiser’s $13 billion in reserves demonstrate capacity to invest in frontline care. RN Anesthetist Sanne Jaobsen, picketing in Oakland, described Kaiser’s bargaining approach as fundamentally flawed, emphasizing that healthcare workers seek resources to deliver safe patient care rather than simply higher paychecks. The conflicting narratives underscore a breakdown in trust between management and workers that threatens long-term care quality. The strike’s open-ended nature creates uncertainty for millions of Kaiser patients who depend on consistent access to care, particularly those undergoing time-sensitive treatments like chemotherapy. With no immediate resolution on the horizon and unfair labor practice charges pending before the National Labor Relations Board, this labor dispute exemplifies broader challenges facing American healthcare systems struggling to balance fiscal responsibility with workforce retention and patient safety in post-pandemic conditions. Sources: 31,000 nurses, health care workers strike at Kaiser Permanente UNAC/UHCP Strike Announcement UFCW 324 Kaiser Updates 2025 Nurse Strikes List 2026