Hundreds of Health care workers gathered outside the Kaiser Permanente Fontana Medical Center on Wednesday, Oct. 15, marking day two of a multi-day strike over patient care, staffing levels, and contract negotiations. The strike, which began Tuesday and is expected to continue through Sunday, Oct. 19, is part of a broader action involving more than 8,600 workers across the Inland Empire and tens of thousands nationally.
Participants at the Fontana site included members of the United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals (UNAC/UHCP) and United Steelworkers Local 7600. Among them was Maria Arevalo Ramirez, a union representative from Fontana, who said the protest was motivated by more than just wages. “We’re not just striking for ourselves,” she said. “We’re striking for our patients, future nurses, and the future of healthcare.”
Arevalo Ramirez also noted that workers are not being compensated while on strike. “We are taking a leap of faith, not just for ourselves, but for our patients,” she said. “We’re investing that money into patient care and progress for nursing.”…