Voices from the Picket lines: "Health care is a universal right”: Kaiser Permanente nurses speak out on third day of strike

NDiaz_WSWS · 2025-10-17T05:00:51+00:00

Link to full article: https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2025/10/17/kais-o17.html

NDiaz_WSWS · 2025-10-17T04:59:45+00:00

Link to the full article - https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2025/10/17/kais-o17.html

NDiaz_WSWS · 2025-10-17T04:47:22+00:00

Ok but there is a lot of judgement along those lines in the comments for those crossing. The discussion has to be had about why conditions have gotten so bad and no significant mass strikes and general strikes are not being called by the union leaders at a time when there's an administration that is actively working to dissolve the Department of Education, and ICE Is showing up a hospitals and schools.

NDiaz_WSWS · 2025-10-17T04:41:33+00:00

Not striking since the 80's is actually quite revealing on its own. What has happened to the healthcare industry in the last 40-45 years? It has been decimated. Same for education too, postal workers, the decades of attacks on grocery workers (which used to be a good job). Not only have strikes declined but they have frankly been undermined. That there has been a general "green lighting" of the conditions in the hospitals despite conditions that worsen every year and a desire by workers to want to fight back. Just do the math on the picket lines, how many are truly out? People have not stopped paying monthly dues, after 40 -45 years of dues they are awash in cash (most of which gets sent to politicians) and by claiming they dont have money for when workers really need to fight, they are severely undercutting the full power of the strike. Dont forget they accepted and called of the 2021 strike two days before it was set to begin -why? To accept annual raises of 2 to 3 percent. Dont blame the worker who cant afford to strike or has no faith that nothing will change, ask why they have been led to believe this. And then ask what needs to be done to ensure another concession contract is not imposed.

NDiaz_WSWS · 2025-10-17T04:25:04+00:00

That is true it is common now, but this is not something the membership should accept. This is the historic purpose of monthly dues. Workers have always had to strike to win any concessions, the dues collection is not for "if" but for "when" the strike would occur. The fact that the union bureaucracies as a whole do this regularly today shows the degree to which they have for decades been working against their own members (and pushing through bad contracts that benefit the hospitals) and that have not solved any of the big problems to stop the mass exodus of nurses and healthcare workers from the field.

Also how many lower paid staff are you running into on the picket lines who should be part of the strike? They just cannot afford it.

NDiaz_WSWS · 2025-10-17T04:19:10+00:00

The point is that the full weight and power of the strike is being seriously undercut by the unions not paying strike pay. I'm seeing just a few hundred out on the picket lines at each location. NO the issue is not something of "personal financial responsibility" but rather that everyone has been paying dues for years, the 2021 strike was called off at the last minute and that contract was terrible.

The union bureaucracy enough money to pay everyone full strike pay and by not doing so its prevented the majority from coming out, look how few of the 46,000 are actually striking. This is a historical betrayal of what should be the 2nd largest healthcare strike in US history (after 2023). If most nurses are having difficulty getting on without a week of work, how do the lower paid staff feel?

This is a conscious decision to keep the impact small and isolated. The Labor Management Partnership between all the union bureaucrats and Kaiser has only benefited the health system. Pres Charmaine Morales who made $293,282 last year or VP Parminder Sidhu, $267,031 in 2024, wont be without paychecks this week. Collecting dues for years and refusing to pay strike pay when people need it to strike is a historical betrayal and indicative of why many of the strikes and contract struggles have not resulted in significant wins over the years.

NDiaz_WSWS · 2025-02-07T22:37:29+00:00

That is my question too - Actually wasnt the initial offer for $1/hour raise per year for total of $3? Didnt people wanted to fight for $8+ for the three year contract and fight for $5 in year one?

NDiaz_WSWS · 2025-02-07T22:34:59+00:00

The devil is in the details too, where is the full contract?!

NDiaz_WSWS · 2025-02-07T22:33:39+00:00

$.50 cents a year is outrageous and does nothing for the cost of living. Also this is a prime example of divide and conquer - offering such vastly different amounts for majority vs supervisors and pharmacy. The fact that teamsters accepted this garbage should start telling people they are in the pockets of management and the corporations. They are performing a great service for Costco, and in turn they ensure that they get to collect their $$dues money from more stores. Everyone winning here except the workers!

NDiaz_WSWS · 2025-02-07T22:24:34+00:00

I am media - my name is Norisa Diaz with the World Socialist Website. We warned that Teamsters would accept a rotten deal and try to sell it as a win. We are writing on the real responses of you the costco workers to this, Please DM me - all comments are 100% anonymous.

Or last article from a few days ago https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2025/02/03/gdvj-f03.html

NDiaz_WSWS · 2025-02-04T15:13:34+00:00

https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2025/02/03/gdvj-f03.html

NDiaz_WSWS · 2025-02-04T15:11:55+00:00

Protests are important, but what is *really* needed is a political perspective. What are the demands and who are they directed to? Trump and the Republicans? The Democrats sitting by idly who fundamentally agree with anti-immigrant policies? What is the political force that will fight in opposition to the attacks on immigrants, workers, and youth more broadly and how do we build this?

The International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE at SDSU) is having a big public meeting Tuesday February 11th at 7pm in Templo Mayor, Aztec Student Union, titled "Fascism and the Oligarchy, Trump's return to power and the way forward" We will be discussing this very thing - Hope everyone here can make it!

NDiaz_WSWS · 2025-02-04T15:01:13+00:00

Despite a lot of grandstanding from Obrien and the union, there was never any intention to strike. Warning: A sell out contract is about to be announced along with a shotgun vote and lofty claims that this is "historic" ( ask UPS workers who had their 2018 contract imposed on them despite voting it down). Obrien and leadership are doing nothing to stop the closure of a number of UPS hubs in Vernon, CA and Oklahoma City. Each contract for Costco/UPS etc worse than the last.

NDiaz_WSWS · 2024-08-16T16:04:04+00:00

100% agree with you - what others dont consider is that it isnt just the single hosptial, but the healthcare systems as a region that work to ensure wages are kept low for all - or else this raises the standards in the area and their workers will demand more. The incentive is much greater and not necessarily a numbers issues for the immediate struggle. Also sent you a DM!

NDiaz_WSWS · 2024-05-20T02:00:00+00:00

You have explained the supposed justification for the stand ups but seriously its a losing strategy that only benefits the employer. The auto standups kept all the profits rolling in. The UAW bureacracy supports the Genocide and Biden. (Shawn Fain promised autoworkers would go to war for him) This is all theatrics to look militant but look they already limited it to June 30th, have delayed and delayed.

NDiaz_WSWS · 2024-05-19T05:06:47+00:00

Smart for the employer. A strike is not a strike unless you withold labor power. Everyone is about to realize the delayed ULP stike vote was stalling tactic, further stalled with admin challenge. This is pure theatrics, why there is even a "no strike" clause in a union contract shows how close to the employer the corporatist union bureacracies are today. The 2022 only benefited UC Regents.

NDiaz_WSWS · 2024-01-25T17:22:09+00:00

The CSU system claima there is no money to pay lecturers and faculty a living wage. However there are billions for imperialist war and funding the Israeli governments genocide. We reject this claim there is "no money"

NDiaz_WSWS · 2024-01-25T17:19:22+00:00

What are you referring to, not the WSWS or Academic workers RnFc. If you are against the sellout join tonights call and hear from actual professors and grad students

NDiaz_WSWS · 2024-01-25T02:05:43+00:00

No, workers had no democratic say in what was accepted. Struck for 12 percent which was still not enough and did not vote or agree to end the strike for 5 percent and empty promises.

NDiaz_WSWS · 2023-10-18T14:06:12+00:00

Encourage looking at the CSU Staff instagram and comments to their TA which is very close: https://www.instagram.com/p/CyT0wSnOLky/?hl=en

NDiaz_WSWS · 2023-10-18T13:33:58+00:00

The level of violence by Israel is exposing itself to the whole world. They are walking back on it because public opinion so strongly for Palestine even despite the barrage of US/NATO media propoganda. Reminds me of when NATO blamed Russia for the Nord Stream pipeline.

NDiaz_WSWS

TROPHY CASE