Kaiser strike ends, healthcare workers return to work

The month-long strike against Kaiser Permanente facilities in California and Hawaii is over. Nurses and healthcare professionals who had partaken in the strike returned to work Tuesday, Feb. 24. Kaiser Medical Center in Roseville on Eureka Blvd. has been one of the hospitals impacted by the strike since it began four weeks ago. The strikers, represented by the United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals (UNAC/UHCP), said this was the largest open-ended strike of registered nurses and healthcare professionals in the country's history. Union leaders said "significant movement" has occurred at the bargaining table between them and Kaiser officials, prompting a decision to end the strike and return to work. Union leaders formally alerted Kaiser to the decision to return, saying returning members to their patients and jobs is the clearest path to securing a final agreement. On the Kaiser Permanente website Tuesday, there was a simple announcement at the top in bold letters stating: "The labor strike is over, and we're restoring full services to all facilities." Over the past month, Kaiser has worked to continue services but did warn patients that in some cases, appointments would need to be rescheduled. On Tuesday, once the strike ended, Kaiser announced all will return to normal. "Some services may be temporarily affected as we work to restore normal operations. We're sorry for any inconvenience and appreciate your patience," wrote Kaiser on its website to patients. "We will call you to reschedule any postponed care as we resume normal operations – you do not need to call us. Please check your local facility page to confirm services and hours of operation before visiting one of our medical offices." The strike began Jan. 26 with about 31,000 members of UNAC/UHCP taking part after national negotiations with Kaiser stalled. Union leaders have been in contract talks with Kaiser since March 2025. Union officials say the end of the month-long strike is a symbol that the marathon contract dispute will finally reach a resolution soon.