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FONTANA, Calif. () — Pharmacists and lab techs joined the Kaiser Permanente strike on Monday as thousands of other healthcare workers entered their third week on the picket line.
More than 30,000 healthcare workers, including nurses, are off the job, claiming “unfair labor practices” by the healthcare provider. Kaiser said employees are asking for way too much.
“I work pediatric ER, and a lot of times I have six patients to myself,” Stephanie Kopitch of Fontana said.
“There’s times when I need a head CT, and the charge nurse says, ‘I’m short staffed. I can’t get that head CT because I’m covering breaks,'” Sarah Burke of Fontana said.
“Sometimes they tell us, ‘everybody take out your trash.’ This is biohazard trash. It’s not like the trash in your kitchen,” Reyna Monroy of Fontana said.
“I’m exhausted mentally and physically, but we have no choice,” Patty Rivas of Woodland Hills said.
Kaiser released a statement over the weekend, which said in part, “Our contract proposal is the strongest compensation package in Kaiser Permanente’s national bargaining history and keeps employees among the best paid caregivers in the country. The total pay increase we are offering, including step increases, amounts to roughly 30% over the length of the contract, not including proposed benefits enhancements.”
Kopitch pushed back on Kaiser’s claims.
“Thirty percent is not the truth, our union reps say it doesn’t add up,” she said. “They’re trying to take the pension away up North. So, that’s why I’m out here. I want to stay at Kaiser and be able to retire, but if they take my pension, I can’t stay here.”
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