Over 2,000 California Mental Health Clinicians Go On Strike

The unrestricted strike is scheduled to start on Monday. The National Medical Workers Union, which represents 16,000 workers in California and Hawaii, said: Kaiser has approximately 1 full-time mental health clinician for every 2,600 members, and therapists will soon leave Kaiser. record speedsaid the union.

The strike comes at a time when mental health problems are surging in the country. The World Health Organization says the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic 25% increase in anxiety and depression worldwideAnd last year, the Pediatrics Group found that children’s mental health challenges during the Covid-19 pandemic were “national emergency.”

According to the union, patients who need treatment every week or two will wait several months before starting their treatment regimen, and then another four to eight weeks before an appointment.

In a statement, Kaiser Permanente said two key issues the parties were negotiating were wage increases and union demands for more time that therapists could spend on work other than seeing patients. Kaiser has suggested increasing the time allotted for administrative duties, but said the union is demanding more.

Kaiser, which reported net income of $8.1 billion last year, said it was “refusing to make the right investment in additional staff, taking steps to reduce burnout among its current workforce, and launching mental health clinics.” We are doing what we need to do,” he said. On par with other medical services provided by HMO. ”

Kaiser said unions are “using current challenges as a bargaining tactic.”

“Despite the harmful tactics of the union, we reach a fair and equitable agreement that is good for therapists and patients,” said Deb Katsavas, senior vice president of human resources at Kaiser Permanente Northern California. We remain committed to negotiating in good faith for the sake of our statement.

Clinicians voted to go on strike in June after a year of failed contract negotiations.