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More than 2,000 Kaiser Mental Health workers in Northern California plan to begin an open-ended strike after the health care facility rejected a union proposal this weekend, union officials said.
Officials from the National Health Care Workers Association, which represents the clinics; announced He plans to start the strike early this month. The reasons include heavy workloads and excessive wait times — weeks or even months, according to union officials — for patients seeking treatment.
On Thursday, the association Accused Kaiser officials illegally cancel or suspend mental and behavioral health services due to employee strike. Under state law, Kaiser must provide timely health care to patients during a strike and if network services are unavailable.
Kaiser officials have opposed the petition, saying patients will be cared for at clinics and out-of-network providers that are not on strike.
The union said it would begin the planned strike Monday morning as Kaiser officials shot down a deal Saturday to increase member staffing and “end dangerously long waits for mental health appointments.”
Hospital workers in San Francisco, San Jose, Sacramento and Fresno will participate, union officials said.
“I see patients once every four to six weeks and those patients are suffering from severe psychiatric symptoms because they are so infrequent,” says Michael Torres, a psychiatrist at San Leandro Medical Center.
Torres added that the pandemic has exacerbated mental health problems in people, especially children, and increased the demand for services.
“I am fighting for the right of young people to see the best practice standards of care that should be nationally recognized,” he said.
Long waits for patients are an ongoing problem at Kaiser, he said, due to many clinics leaving hospitals in Northern California.
“Kaiser has a negative reputation. … They couldn’t hire people as quickly as they’re leaving now,” Torres said.
But Kaiser officials said in a statement Sunday that the shortage of mental health workers is a national issue.
Deb Katavas, senior vice president of human resources at Kaiser Permanente Northern California, said the hospital has hired nearly 200 new clinicians since January 2021 and improved patient access to virtual care. Katsavas said the hospital has launched a $500,000 initiative to hire new clinicians.
“Despite everything we are doing, we are challenged like others to meet the demand and we know more needs to be done. We are focused on finding new ways to address the mental health needs of our members and patients,” Katavas said.
“They have used the threat of strikes as a bargaining chip in every contract negotiation over the past 12 years,” she said, blaming the union’s strike plan.
Despite Monday’s planned strike, Katsavas said the hospital is prepared to meet the mental health needs of its patients.
“We are committed to negotiating in good faith to reach a fair and just settlement that is good for our therapists and our patients,” Katavas said.
Jessica Flores (she/her) is a staff writer for the San Francisco Chronicle. Email: jessica.flores@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jesssmflores
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