Kaiser mental health strike: Aug. 22
Clinicians returned to the picket lines today with a strong sense of purpose and a clear understanding that the only way to achieve sustainable workloads, improve access to care, and make Kaiser truly value behavioral health care is by winning this strike.
As expected, Kaiser officials don’t want to return to the bargaining table. They want to test our resolve to see if people will cross the picket line, knowing that would improve Kaiser’s leverage in talks. As we proceed with our efforts to leverage our political support to give Kaiser no choice but to initiate the resumption of bargaining, it’s critical that we stay strong and stand united, so Kaiser officials ultimately realize that they have to settle on our terms.
Growing support in Sacramento
State Controller Betty Yee on Friday became the latest top California elected leader to issue a written statement supporting our strike. Yee, who also sits on the Board of Directors of CalPERS, wrote:
There is no excuse for any health plan to break the law. The clinicians on strike at Kaiser Permanente are standing up for their patients. I join others in calling on Kaiser Permanente to resolve this strike and to match the state’s commitment and investment in timely,,accessible mental health care. State regulators, CalPERS and other public officials must recommit to vigorously enforcing all laws protecting patient rights.
Yee’s letter follows recent statements of support for striking clinicians from Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, Senate President Toni Atkins and Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon.
More great news coverage
Check out the latest video, released today, in Capitol & Main’s short documentary project with Jane Kostka, an LCSW for Kaiser in Sacramento. And check out Part 1 and Part 2. And see below for photos from today’s picket line and recent here for recent news coverage.
[slideshow_deploy id=’27160′]