Amid strike threats from mental health care workers, Kaiser Permenente urges their employees to reject any call for a strike as they work through the bargaining process of a new agreement.
The message comes after nearly 2,000 psychologists, therapists and social workers in Kaiser Permanente’s Northern California division voted to strike in response to alleged union proposal rejections from the National Union of Healthcare Workers and understaffing concerns.
In a statement released Thursday evening, the Health Maintenance Organization said though this strike calls for more staffing, the issue at hand more so lies in how much therapists are paid.
“We understand that NUHW is now threatening to strike – a bargaining tactic this union has used every time it is bargaining for a new contract with Kaiser Permanente, over the past 11 years of its existence,” Arlene Peasnall, senior vice president of human resources at Kaiser Permanente, said in a statement. “We are still bargaining and are committed to resolving the issues and reaching an agreement.”
The need for mental health services has far exceeded the amount of clinicians before the COVID-19 pandemic, and the demand has only exceeded as the nation went into lockdown, Kaiser said.
Kaiser said they hired hundreds of clinicians over the past five years and has over 300 job postings available. Kaiser also pointed to their $30 million investment to train new mental health clinicians in California.
“We have the greatest respect and gratitude for our mental health professionals and we are dedicated to supporting them in their important work,” Peasnall wrote. “In addition to working with us to improve access to high quality mental health care, we are asking NUHW to work constructively to help address future costs to ensure we continue to be affordable for our members.”
Kaiser also stated that increased wages can make health care increasingly expensive and inaccessible for its members.
“The challenge we are trying to address is that if we continue to increase costs so high above the marketplace, our members will not be able to afford to get the care they need. We have to work together to address this challenge in a way that honors and rewards our employees and recognizes the increasing difficulty our members and customers face in paying for care,” Peasnall stated.
The union and Kaiser Permanente will continue to bargain in the next week.
If you’ve been depending on Kaiser for your Medical and other Health needs:
I think you are in need of some good Mental Health Services. A bunch of Quacks and Wokesters in my opinion. Are you really going to “Thrive”.
Just one man’s opinion (???)
The COVID-19 lock-downs appear to have affected the mental health of Zoomers and Millennials the most. I can see the Zoomers having issues as their school situation was up-ended. I don’t think I would have handled that well either. But the Millennials are older. Sometimes I think the real problem is young people are soft and lack discipline today. But I’m sure my father thought the same of me when I was young. He had a hard life during the Great Depression. One’s feelings were irrelevant, especially that of children. Children were not coddled and grew up much faster as a result. You faced life head-on or you may not eat. You didn’t hide in a corner of your “safe space.”
@Bruh – it doesn’t matter if one is a Zoomer, Boomer, Millennial, etc – its takes a lot of hard work, budgeting, saving, and sacrificing in order to purchase home. The politicians locked the country down – which affected everyone. If one choses to “hid inside” that is their proactive, which does not hurt anyone.
Millennials and younger generations have been indoctrinated to believe everything is someone else’s fault, and they are the victims. Just look at what Bruh posted in response to your comment. This person actually believes this b.s. and possesses absolutely no critical thinking skills.
Bruh: you tried exactly the same argument here a few months ago except you now added foreign buyers to the story. Are you typing this out on your iPhone? Boomers did not even have pocket calculators unless they were math majors in college. Yeah, you have it tough. Instead of the risk of being shot in a rice paddy in Vietnam, you face the risk that they are out of almond milk at Philz.
@anon…. Warren Zevon wrote a song called “Poor Poor Pitiful Me”….your comment reminded me of the title.
@Anon,
Maybe it’s because the boomers worked hard for what they had and made efforts to better themselves, instead of sitting back and expecting everything to be handed to them. Maybe if the current generation would spend more time working and less time worrying about everybody’s pronouns, they would be successful. too.
Kaiser should offer the the strikers free mental health evaluations.
.
Strike?
.
During a pandemic?
.
Are they crazy?
.
Let them strike and see how long they can go without getting paid. Peace! Kaiser is still getting their monthly membership dues. Of course it would only hurt their patients they swore to help
Raises for all = layoffs for some…
Apparently the Golden Gate is seeing a record number of jumpers – 1 per week, according to one of the small boat captains tasked with recovery.
Yes USGS and any number of the designated USGS auxiliary boats – small crafts captained by civilians.
Kaiser’s mental health division sucks. I know one of their therapist (not in a business relationship, but personally). They don’t have enough people to provide the services they need to, and just shuffle folks on out the door. Even the ones who really need help. This is not the first time that department has been on strike. I’m sure it’s not the last.
I think the Contra Costa County Health Department should get a mental health evaluation before the strike begins,
Especially the quack that runs it.
Like I’ve said before: RECALL/FIRE Chris Farnitano, the County’s HEAD QUACK!
Agreed.
https://bit.ly/3brfpVd
I hope the employees do strike.
Kaiser certainly isn’t the best health care provider.
I’d like to see people get better jobs.
I understand the desire to keep an existing job and work to make it better.
Personally, I would rather find a better place to work.