Los Angeles County and Sonoma County Democratic Parties Endorse NUHW/CNA Statewide Strike at Kaiser Permanente
LOS ANGELES – Last Tuesday, both the Los Angeles County Democratic Party and the Sonoma County Democratic Party resolved to support this week’s statewide strike by 23,000 Kaiser Permanente caregivers.
The LACDP’s resolution “calls on Kaiser to settle a fair contract with NUHW members now, including enforceable safe staffing standards and no reductions in benefits.” Read the resolution here: http://kaiserunited.org/2011/09/lacdp-strike-resolution/
The Sonoma County Democratic Party “endorses and supports the CNA and the NUHW strikes” and has pledged to mobilize party members to join workers on the picket line. Read the resolution here: http://kaiserunited.org/2011/09/sonoma-dems-strike-resolution/
Despite enjoying record profits over the last two and a half years of over $5.7 billion, Kaiser administrators are insisting on implementing major reductions to workers’ healthcare coverage and retirement benefits and continue to refuse to address workers’ concerns about chronic short staffing and its negative impacts on patient care.
NUHW members at Kaiser are walking off the job to protest Kaiser’s unfair labor practices and refusal to bargain in good faith toward a fair contract that protects patient care and leaves workers’ benefits intact. The strike will take place at dozens of Kaiser hospitals and clinics from Sacramento to San Diego.
At Kaiser’s flagship Southern California hospital, Kaiser Los Angeles Medical Center (LAMC), over 1,100 NUHW-represented Registered Nurses will walk off the job for three days beginning on Wednesday, September 21st.
Throughout the Southern California region, about 1,200 Social Workers, Therapists, Health Educators, Dietitians, Speech Pathologists and Audiologists will engage in a two-day strike on September 21st and 22nd.
In Northern California, approximately 1,500 mental health professionals and optical workers will walk off the job for 24 hours beginning at 6am on the 21st. They will be joined by 17,000 Registered Nurses with the California Nurses Association and about 2,000 Stationary Engineers who are striking in solidarity with NUHW.
Click on the following links to find picket line locations and press contact information: