The Looming Healthcare Strike and What It Reveals
The healthcare industry is currently facing an impending massive walkout. Over 75,000 employees from Kaiser Permanente, one of the largest health care providers in the U.S., might go on strike next week unless a new agreement is reached. The Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions and Kaiser have been in discussions since April about a new contract, but significant disagreements persist on pay raises and job protections.
The current situation is exacerbated by a severe understaffing crisis, worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has affected the quality of patient care and employee well-being. Wait times for appointments have drastically increased, and the percentage of vacant union positions is alarming. To combat this, the union is advocating for a significant pay raise and improved benefits, hoping to retain and attract more staff. While Kaiser claims it offers competitive pay and benefits, many workers are still struggling to make ends meet.
A massive strike would impact numerous healthcare facilities, from hospitals and clinics to medical offices across various states, involving a vast range of healthcare professionals. The strike would be the largest US health care strike in history, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This looming crisis isn't unique to just Kaiser Permanente or this year alone. The history of healthcare strikes reveals a pattern of systemic issues within the industry.
This could potentially be the most significant healthcare strike to date, but more challenges loom on the horizon. Many may not realize that there is a pervasive shortage of nurses, attributed in part to a lack of qualified educators, frequent staff turnover, and uneven distribution of the workforce. Research from 2021 indicates that nurses who exceed a standard 40-hour workweek experience heightened burnout. Specifically, the likelihood of job-related burnout doubles for those clocking in 60 hours a week, triples for those exceeding 74 hours, and quadruples for those working more than 84 hours. In 2021, the NIH conducted a study on nurse burnout which found that about half of the respondents frequently felt emotionally drained (50.8%), used up (56.4%), fatigued (49.7%), or burned out (45.1%). Additionally, 29.4% often felt at the end of their rope.
The potential strike at Kaiser Permanente stands as a stark testament to the pressing challenges within the healthcare sector. As burnout rates soar and staffing issues persist, it's evident that addressing the needs and well-being of healthcare workers is more crucial than ever for the future of patient care. It's clear that healthcare leadership values profits over workers needs, and guess who bears the brunt? Patients. They are left navigating the side effects of staffing burnout and those necessary strikes aiming to improve their quality of care.