More than 600 Kaiser Permanente midwives and nurse anesthetists in Northern California walked out Monday to protest what they see as the giant health-care provider’s failure to address their concerns about understaffing and quality of care.
The one-day strike, which affects facilities in San Francisco, the greater Bay Area, Sacramento and Fresno, comes amid ongoing bargaining between the two sides. The midwives and anesthetists have been negotiating with Kaiser for more than a year to establish their first contract with it since joining the United Nurses Associations of California.
The union charges that Kaiser has “refused” to reach a “fair contract” with it. Members argue their wages aren’t adequate for the high cost of living in the area or competitive with those offered by other providers, driving midwives and nurse anesthetists to leave Kaiser for positions in other areas or with other health-care companies. That’s left Kaiser facilities understaffed, feeding burnout among employees and threatening patient care, union members say…