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

After months of negotiations, a historic strike and threats of further action, a new contract for more than 85,000 Kaiser Permanente health care employees was ratified.

The new four-year contract, effective Oct. 1 through Sept. 30, 2027, was approved by a 98.5% margin, and included new terms addressing wage issues, contracting and outsourcing protections and accelerated hiring processes, among other details outlined in the new contract.

A three-day labor strike in early October drew national attention to negotiations that affected Kaiser facilities across seven states and the District of Columbia. In the weeks following the strike, negotiations ramped up, eventually avoiding a second strike scheduled to take palace from Nov. 1-8.

“This is more than a contract – it signals a new day for frontline healthcare workers and for patient safety across Kaiser facilities,” said Angelica Mateo, a licensed vocational nurse at Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center Clinics. “When healthcare workers stand shoulder-to-shoulder to fight for our patients and our jobs, we can win.”

The contract establishes a new health care minimum wage ($25/hr in California and $23/hr in states with Kaiser Coalition union members).

“Today, we celebrate a huge step forward in addressing persistent staffing problems,” said Caroline Lucas, executive director of the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions. “This new contract is not only a victory for Kaiser’s patients and employees, but for all frontline healthcare workers and those who rely on them in our moments of need. When healthcare workers win, we all win.”