Ask Kaiser About Patient Care: UNAC/UHCP Steps Into Day Two Of Historic Five-Day Strike

MEDIA ADVISORY FOR: Wednesday, October 15 at 7:00 a.m. PT
CONTACT: press@unacuhcp.org
**Photos and videos of Kaiser nurses’ first day on strike available here, courtesy of UNAC/UHCP** 

ASK KAISER ABOUT PATIENT CARE:

Health Care Workers Step Out in Historic Strike to Protect Patients, Support Staff, and Demand Real Solutions

Kaiser Permanente ignores the real crisis inside its hospitals and clinics

Los Angeles— As Kaiser Permanente faces one of the largest health care strikes in this year, tens of thousands of frontline registered nurses and health care professionals are asking the question Kaiser isn’t answering: What happens to patient care when the people who provide it are stretched past their limits?

“We represent the RNs, nurse practitioners, PAs, pharmacists, physical and occupational therapists, midwives — the whole gamut of professionals at this hospital,” said Peter Sidhu, RN, UNAC/UHCP Executive Vice President, who went to Kaiser Woodland Hills on Tuesday morning to lead the walkout with nurses he worked alongside in the intensive care unit during the COVID pandemic.  “Kaiser, come to the table and talk to us about patient care. There’s no reason we should be out here, except to make sure everything is safe in there.”

The Numbers Kaiser Doesn’t Want to Talk About

•  Kaiser’s reserves have grown from $44 billion to $66 billion since 2021, while ERs and clinics are short-staffed. (Fitch Ratings)
• CEO Gregory Adams, made over $12 million last year, and other Kaiser executives earn multi-million-dollar salaries, while health care workers take second jobs to remain in their communities. (Voice of OC)
•  Kaiser flies in 7,600 strike breakers instead of investing in permanent staff. (SF Chronicle)

The Reality Behind the PR
Kaiser sidesteps unsafe staffing, punishing schedules, and burnout — the real issues driving caregivers to the brink. Delayed appointments, rushed care, and chronic short staffing are harming patients every day. 

Across California and Hawaii, UNAC/UHCP members who work at 500 plus locations gathered at key picket sites, mainly hospitals where they work, or near their clinics and medical office buidlings. The people walking the line are the same people patients trust for their care:

 

“We can’t give our patients the care they deserve if we don’t have enough nurses. We’re steadily admitting more patients without the staff to care for the ones we already have.” — Marla Hunt, RN, Kaiser West Los Angeles

“It’s not easy to walk away from our patients, but if we don’t advocate for them, who will? We’re the ones caring for them. It’s hard, but we have to do it.” — Tonja Sweeney, RN, surgical, Kaiser South Bay

 “It’s not our goal to have a strike, but it’s our way of saying enough is enough. It’s time for Kaiser Permanente to step up and give us the resources and staff we need to do our job safely.” — Nikki Avey, RN, Labor and Delivery, Kaiser San Diego

“Families with children who have special needs depend on this care to help their kids reach a normal level of function—so they can grow up able to live independently. Delays are devastating for those families and children. We entered this profession to help people and improve their lives, but we’re facing patients in crisis whom we can’t fully help.” — Gina Yarbrough, NICU physical therapist, Kaiser Modesto

 

This strike is not about walking away from patients — it’s about standing up for them.

PICKET LINES — WEDNESDAY, OCT. 15
UNAC/UHCP Picketing at the Following Major Kaiser Locations

Northern California-7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Pacific

Oakland Medical Center, 3600 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94611

Roseville Medical Center, 1600 Eureka Rd, Roseville, CA 95661

Santa Clara Medical Center, 700 Lawrence Expy, Santa Clara, CA 95051

Southern California-7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Pacific

Kaiser Stockdale Medical Offices, 3501 Stockdale Hwy, Bakersfield, CA 93309

Anaheim Medical Center, 3440 E La Palma Ave, Anaheim, CA 92806

Irvine Medical Center, 6640 Alton Pkwy, Irvine, CA 92618

Los Angeles Medical Center, 4867 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90027

Baldwin Park Medical Center, 1011 Baldwin Park Blvd, Baldwin Park, CA 91706

Downey Medical Center, 9333 Imperial Hwy, Downey, CA 90242

Panorama City Medical Center, 13651 Willard St., Panorama City, CA 91402

South Bay Medical Center, 25825 Vermont Ave, Harbor City, CA 90710

West Los Angeles Medical Center, 6041 Cadillac Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90034

Woodland Hills Medical Center, 5601 De Soto Ave, Woodland Hills, CA 91367

Kaiser Permanente Lancaster Medical Offices, 43112 15th St. W, Lancaster, CA 93534

Fontana Medical Center, 9961 Sierra Ave., Fontana, CA 92335

Ontario Medical Center, 2295 S Vineyard Ave, Ontario, CA 91761

Riverside Medical Center, 10800 Magnolia Ave, Riverside, CA 92505

San Marcos Medical Center, 360 Rush Dr, San Marcos, CA 92078

Zion Medical Center, 4647 Zion Ave. San Diego, CA 92120

San Diego Medical Center, 9455 Clairemont Mesa Blvd, San Diego, CA 92123

Hawaii- 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. HST

Kaiser Permanente Honolulu Medical Office, 1010 Pensacola St, Honolulu, HI 96814

*Kaiser Permanente Moanalua Medical Center, 3288 Moanalua Rd, Honolulu, HI 96819 (7 a.m. to 9 p.m. HST)

Kaiser Permanente Maui Lani Elua Clinic, 55 Maui Lani Parkway, Wailuku, HI 96793

 

For more information: Unacuhcp.org

 

 

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United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals (UNAC/UHCP) represents more than 40,000 registered nurses and healthcare professionals in California and Hawaii, including optometrists; pharmacists; physical, occupational and speech therapists; case managers; nurse midwives; social workers; clinical lab scientists; physician assistants and nurse practitioners; hospital support and technical staff. UNAC/UHCP is affiliated with the National Union of Hospital and Health Care Employees (NUHHCE) and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), AFL-CIO.