By tf-lawyer.com On October 21, over 2,400 mental health professionals—including psychologists, therapists, and social workers—employed by Kaiser Permanente in Southern California initiated an indefinite strike in Los Angeles, protesting against chronic understaffing that has led to overwhelming workloads. Union representatives claim that this situation has caused the quality of Kaiser’s mental health services to fall “below standard.”
The National Union of Healthcare Workers, which represents these employees, is engaged in contract negotiations with the California-based healthcare giant. Union members are demanding that Kaiser hire additional staff to alleviate the burdens faced by current employees.
In response, Kaiser issued a statement accusing the union of “deliberately stalling” the negotiation process. The company emphasized that it has offered “robust proposals,” while describing the union’s demands as “excessive and unreasonable.”
The strike is taking place at various Kaiser facilities across Los Angeles, Orange County, San Bernardino, and San Diego. Antonia Rodarte, a licensed marriage and family therapist from Bakersfield, joined around 35 colleagues in Los Angeles for the strike. She expressed concern over witnessing her colleagues becoming increasingly exhausted, with many opting to leave their positions due to the escalating workload. “Kaiser focuses too heavily on patient numbers while neglecting the quality of care,” she said.
Another mental health professional, Natalie Espinoza, noted that there is a significant shortage of staff and an excessive workload in Southern California. She shared that she sees up to ten patients a day, often skipping lunch and struggling to find time for necessary documentation.
Kaiser labeled the strike as “entirely unnecessary,” arguing that the union’s request for full-time therapists to have at least 19 hours per week without patient appointments is “unacceptable and would greatly reduce patients’ access to mental health care.”
This marks the second strike by Kaiser mental health workers in two years; a previous strike in Northern California lasted ten weeks in 2022, leading Kaiser to agree to provide more time for non-patient-related tasks and to hire additional staff and expand services. California State Senator Maria Elena Durazo participated in the strike in Los Angeles, supporting the Southern California workers’ claims for the same treatment received by their Northern California counterparts.
Kaiser stated that it will notify patients affected by the strike and arrange for other qualified professionals to provide care during this time.
