Watch CBS News

25K Kaiser Nurses Across California To Strike For 3 Days

HOLLYWOOD (CBS) — Roughly 25,000 Kaiser Permanente nurses across California are on strike.

Several non-essential surgeries were canceled Wednesday at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Hollywood, where 1,000 workers are rallying outside the building.

Nurses, who will strike for three days, say patient care is their primary concern.

"It's difficult to be out here on a strike, but we're out here for our patients' safety and quality care that they deserve," Sandra Hanke, a nurse in the pediatric oncology unit, told CBS2. "We not out here for anything other than safe staffing; no floating to units that we feel unsafe at, and we want to make sure that the patients have really good quality care here at Kaiser."

Kaiser released a statement saying the company has been negotiating in good faith for more than a year, and that this week's strike is counter-productive.

All Kaiser hospitals, including emergency rooms, are scheduled to remain open during the strike.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.