Update:
On Dec. 10, our SEIU-UHW Executive Board voted to continue our efforts in support of the engineers’ fight for a fair contract by:
- Contributing $300,000 to the IUOE Stationary Engineers Local 39 strike fund from our general fund (line item: Solidarity Donations), with the intention that it support our Kaiser engineers;
- Publicly raising awareness of the importance of the engineers to the care team and quality patient care;
- Sounding the alarm over unresolved problems with medical equipment and hospital facilities that Kaiser’s replacement engineers are failing to address;
- Organizing actions in facilities to share these concerns;
- Mobilizing political support; and
- Potentially doing an additional sympathy strike in the future.
On November 18, we were all part of the largest sympathy strike in the United States in over a century. 40,000 Kaiser union members from SEIU-UHW, OPEIU Local 29, IFPTE Local 20 were the largest group of working people since 1894 to say we care enough about another group of workers to leave our job, give up pay and take a stand with the Local 39 Operating Engineers.
This is quite remarkable but not at all surprising. As healthcare workers, we have dedicated our lives to caring for others. We have risked our lives and health these past two years to care for patients during the pandemic. After seeing our co-workers, Kaiser engineers out on strike for 62 days, we said enough is enough. We joined them on the line with courage and honor in a moment that will define us for decades to come.
News Coverage
Sacramento Bee
Kaiser strike in Northern California: Engineers uplifted as thousands picket in solidarity
November 18, 2021
Features quote from UHW members Lanette Griffin, Rod Thomson, Adwin Chand (video)
Mercury News
Kaiser strike shutters some services Thursday. Friday could be worse
KQED
Thousands of Kaiser Permanente Staff Join Picket Line in Solidarity With Striking Engineers
San Francisco Chronicle
Kaiser union employees to hold sympathy strikes Thursday, Friday in solidarity with Local 39
Fox 40 Sacramento
Kaiser union employees engage in sympathy strike in support of local engineers
November 18, 2021
Includes quote from UHW member Kim Samuels of Kaiser So. Sacramento, footage of So. Sacramento sympathy strike
View the historic moment on Social Media
An Open Letter from SEIU-UHW Executive Board Leaders to Our Co-workers and Patients
