December 2024 PULSE

In December, NUHW members in Southern California, who have been on strike for nearly two months, returned to Kaiser Permanente headquarters as state leaders ramped up pressure on the HMO to settle. Also this month, more than 500 workers at Providence Torrance voted to join NUHW, newly organized NUHW members at Seton Medical Center and Rogers Behavioral Health won strong raises in their first contracts, and workers at USC Verdugo Hills Hospital held their first informational picket.

You can read all the stories below, including the Top 10 Pulse stories of 2024, and a profile of Kenia Leon, a mental health professional at Sonoma County Jail.

NUHW continues growth in Providence system with Torrance election victory
More than 500 workers at Providence Little Company of Mary Torrance voted to join NUHW in December, joining ranks with over 3,000 of their fellow Providence employees throughout California. Read more / Lee más

Kaiser mental health strike enters third month
Striking Kaiser mental health professionals returned to Kaiser Permanente regional headquarters in December, as allies and elected officials turned up the pressure on Kaiser to settle. Read more / Lee más

Majority of state legislators back workers in Kaiser mental health strike
In a highly unusual action, Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, Senate President Pro Tempore Mike McGuire, and a majority of California legislators signed letters urging Kaiser to end the nine-week-old strike by setting on NUHW’s terms. Read more / Lee más

Support striking Kaiser workers
Donations to the NUHW Hardship Fund are disbursed among Kaiser mental health professionals in Southern California. You can donate to the NUHW Hardship Fund or the member-organized GoFundMe.  

Picket outside USC brings out workers and allies
The informational picket outside USC Verdugo Hills Hospital was a significant escalation for nearly 400 workers who joined NUHW last December. Read more / Lee más

Member profile: Kenia Leon
Mental health professional continues the activism work she did as a teen at Sonoma County Jail, pushing to elevate workers’ voices. Read more / Lee más

Read NUHW’s 2024 Top 10(ish) Stories of the Year
NUHW has a lot of unfinished business as 2024 heads to a close, but we have still accomplished a lot this year. Read more / Lee más