Mental health workers at Kaiser Permanente have been striking for over six months, voicing their frustrations over pay, benefits, and working conditions. On a recent Tuesday, they gathered outside a medical center on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles, where they chanted and waved signs in protest.
But not all strikers were active. Some employees opted for a more serious strategy— a hunger strike lasting five days. Among them was Aida Valdivia, a licensed marriage and family therapist. She expressed their commitment, saying, “This is our way of showing we are serious.” Many workers feel unheard after months of attempts to negotiate better conditions, leading them to take such drastic measures.
During this time, some strikers have exhausted their savings, relying on food banks and borrowed money to get by. “We’ve had to limit our food anyway,” Valdivia remarked, highlighting the dire situation many are facing. The strikers demand equal pay and benefits compared to other workers at Kaiser, who perform similar roles in healthcare but earn significantly more. Some mental health professionals feel they lack adequate time between appointments for necessary tasks like paperwork, pushing their workload to unsustainable levels.
The strike, which may be the longest of its kind in U.S. history, has highlighted serious issues in mental healthcare—especially in light of recent reports indicating that nearly two-thirds of Americans with diagnosed mental health conditions struggle to access treatment, even with insurance. According to California’s parity laws, mental health care should be treated equally to physical health care. However, many argue that the system still has significant gaps.
Kaiser officials acknowledge the workers’ concerns but argue that they pay competitively. They are, however, aware that some benefits differ among departments. Kaiser’s spokesperson Terry Kanakri commented, “The union is demanding significantly higher pay… while managing the cost of care for our members.”
The hunger strike has drawn attention from both supporters and various professionals. Medical volunteers, like David Verdiner, monitored the health of the strikers and provided care. Former union president Sal Roseli emphasized the importance of addressing mental health parity, stating that this struggle is broader than Kaiser and reflects a national crisis in mental health treatment accessibility.
Historically, hunger strikes have been a tool for protest, notably used by Cesar Chavez during his farm worker strikes. Erik Loomis, a labor historian, pointed out that such actions can sometimes shift public attention to workers’ issues but cautioned about the challenges long strikes pose to workers’ success.
As the strike continues and more attention is drawn to their plight, the union recently announced new bargaining dates with Kaiser Permanente. In a show of solidarity, Tom Morello from Rage Against the Machine performed at the protest, reminding the crowd that real change often comes from unity among ordinary people.
This ongoing situation echoes a broader movement for labor rights. If workers at Kaiser can successfully negotiate their demands, it could pave the way for significant changes in mental healthcare across the nation.
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