More than 31,000 Kaiser Permanente workers strike across California and Hawaii over staffing and pay
Thousands of Kaiser Permanente nurses and other health professionals walked off the job in an open-ended strike spanning California and Hawaii. The union says staffing and access problems are harming patient care; Kaiser says it has offered substantial raises and is implementing contingency plans to keep facilities open.
An open-ended strike involving more than 31,000 Kaiser Permanente health care workers began Monday, January 26, 2026, across California and Hawaii, escalating one of the largest labor disputes in U.S. health care so far this year. Workers represented by the United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals (UNAC/UHCP) said they are striking over what they describe as unfair labor practices and unresolved contract issues that affect staffing levels, compensation, and timely access to care for patients.
Picket lines formed outside multiple Kaiser facilities from Northern California to Southern California, and the walkout includes a wide range of roles—registered nurses, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, and other specialized clinicians. Union leaders argue that chronic understaffing has made it harder to deliver safe care and has increased burnout, which in turn worsens retention and recruitment. They say that without enforceable staffing and workplace improvements, wage gains alone will not stabilize day-to-day operations.
Kaiser Permanente has publicly pushed back, calling the strike unnecessary and emphasizing that it has put a “generous offer” on the table. In a company statement issued ahead of the walkout, Kaiser said its proposal includes a 21.5% wage increase over the life of the contract, with a large portion front-loaded, and argued that when step increases and local adjustments are considered, total average compensation growth would be higher. Kaiser also said it had prepared contingency staffing and operational plans to maintain care, keeping hospitals and most medical offices open during the strike.
For patients, the biggest near-term impacts are likely to be on scheduling and pharmacy operations rather than emergency care. Kaiser has advised members not to cancel appointments preemptively and said it would contact patients if certain nonurgent visits or elective procedures need to be rescheduled. Kaiser also warned that some outpatient pharmacies could close during the strike and urged patients to consider mail-order options when available.
The dispute reflects broader labor pressure in health care, where staffing shortages, rising patient demand, and cost constraints continue to collide. Nurses and clinicians across the country have increasingly framed negotiations around patient safety and staffing ratios, while employers argue they must balance competitive wages with affordability and sustainable operating costs. At Kaiser, both sides have also traded accusations about bargaining conduct, including whether negotiations were paused, bypassed, or disrupted.
Because the strike is open-ended, the timeline for resolution is uncertain and will depend on whether talks resume and whether either side narrows its demands. In the meantime, patients in affected regions should monitor Kaiser updates about their facility, pharmacy access, and appointment status, and should keep documentation of any changes to scheduled services. The outcome will be watched closely by other health systems and unions, since it may set expectations for 2026 bargaining in a sector still wrestling with post-pandemic workforce strain.