Massive strike at Kaiser Permanente enters third week with new unions joining the picket line
Friday, February 13, 2026
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An estimated 31,000 healthcare workers in California and Hawaii, represented by the United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals (UNAC/UHCP), have been on strike since January 26, demanding safe staffing, manageable workloads, and a livable wage from Kaiser Permanente.
More than 3,000 pharmacy technicians, pharmacy assistants, and clinical laboratory professionals, represented by the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW), have joined the strike, citing the need for adequate staffing to ensure timely patient care and prevent burnout among healthcare workers.
Kaiser Permanente claims that the strike is "unnecessary" and "about wages," but union members, including Sanayo Kondo and Kadi Gonzalez, argue that the healthcare giant has the resources to address chronic understaffing and provide fair contracts, and is instead choosing to "play games" with staffing and patient care.
