Another strike sends 31,000 Kaiser Permanente health care workers to picket lines
January 27, 2026
An estimated 31,000 registered nurses and other front-line Kaiser Permanente health care workers launched an open-ended strike this week in California and Hawaii to demand better wages and staffing. The picketing that began Monday marked the second major walkout in three months by employees represented by the United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals. A five-day strike in October ended with negotiations resuming, but talks broke down in December. The company said health clinics and hospitals will remain open during the strike, with some in-person appointments shifted to virtual appointments and some elective surgeries and procedures being rescheduled.