Picketers gather at the Kaiser Permanente Fresno Medical Center Oct. 5 afternoon. Photo by Ben Hensley

Kaiser Permanente executives have been notified that another strike is possible if significant changes are not offered to employees in negotiations over a new contract with the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions.

The follow-up strike could be scheduled to begin on Wednesday, Nov. 1 and run through Wednesday, Nov. 8; the initial strike lasted three days from Oct. 4 through the 6th.

“It’s simple: Kaiser executives need to be investing in healthcare workers right now amidst this short staffing crisis, not discarding them through a variety of expensive outsourcing schemes,” said Tamara Chew, a Healthcare Plan Representative at Kaiser Permanente’s Roseville hospital. “I can’t understand why anyone in the Kaiser boardroom thinks corporate outsourcing threats are the way to treat a workforce that just a short time ago were being hailed as heroes.”

Frontline health care workers, including registered and vocational nurses, behavioral health workers, pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, call center representatives, housekeepers and a number of technicians from a variety of departments – including emergency departments – have pledged to wait until the beginning of next month before taking further strike action.

The deadline coincides with the expiration of the contract covering Seattle Kaiser employees. Seattle’s contract expires on Oct. 31, enabling an additional 3,000 employees the opportunity to join the strike.

Bargaining between the two parties is set to resume on Oct. 12 and 13.

Kaiser Permanente pledged to continue efforts to come to an agreement.

“We have received notice from the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions for a potential second strike beginning November 1 to November 8,” the provider said in an emailed statement. “We are scheduled to return to the bargaining table on October 12 and Kaiser Permanente remains committed to reaching an agreement that is good for our employees, our members, and our organization, and we will continue to bargain in good faith with the Coalition.”

A follow-up strike would be similar to last week’s strike and would involve workers from California, Colorado, Washington, Oregon, Virginia and Washington D.C.