A mental health worker describes the reasons behind the strike at Kaiser Permanente, highlighting issues of understaffing, long wait times for patients, and the elimination of pensions for employees.
For over 20 years, I have been a social worker, dedicated to helping people navigate trauma, addiction and mental illness. For the past 12 weeks, I’ve been on strike as a member of the National Union of Healthcare Workers (NUHW), where I’ve worked at Kaiser Permanente for nearly 15 years as a therapist. I entered this profession because I care deeply about people.
My colleagues and I assess patients’ needs, create treatment plans, and help them move forward, often during the darkest times of their lives. It’s a privilege to do this work, but it’s also an incredible responsibility. When I first joined Kaiser, I believed I was part of a system that shared my values of care and compassion. The reality is that health care is a business, and profit comes first. Last year, Kaiser eliminated our pensions. I understand that corporate America would love to eliminate pensions and I know that there is a level of resentment from those that do not have them, but here’s the thing, it keeps people committed to their job and their employer, sometimes referred to as the “golden handcuffs” for better or worse. Employers retain committed staff when they value their employee’s commitment of service. Since the pension was eliminated, new colleagues andThis strike isn’t about greed. It’s about survival for both mental health workers and the patients we serve. Patients often wait weeks or months between appointments, only to see a new therapist each time. We need more staff. Imagine being in crisis and having to repeatedly share your story of trauma with a revolving door of strangers. This is not care. It’s a system that fails both patients and providers.paying them three to four times more than us while covering their hotel stays and meal stipend
STRIKE KAISER PERMANENTE MENTAL HEALTH PENSIONS UNDERSTAFFING
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