Kaiser strike extends into fourth week as workers press for higher pay and staffing

More than 31,000 Kaiser Permanente health care workers, including about 22,000 Southern California nurses, remain on an open-ended strike in its fourth week, disrupting appointments and surgeries across California and Hawaii. The union is demanding a 25% wage increase over four years to address inflation and staffing needs, while Kaiser has proposed a 21.5% raise and argues its large reserves should not be used for payroll. Negotiations have resumed after a stalemate but no deal is near. The dispute also involves Northern California groups such as nurse midwives, nurses anesthetists, and physician assistants, with patients reporting long lines and canceled care.