The Kaiser Strike Is Only Part of What’s Ailing U.S. Health Care - The New York Times
New York TimesOct 05, 2023
Labor Unions Reach Tentative Deal With Kaiser Permanente
The Facts
A coalition of healthcare workers and Kaiser Permanente agreed on Friday to a tentative deal, a week after over 75K staff members took part in the largest-ever strike in the US healthcare industry.
The temporary agreement includes a 21% increase in wages over four years and the phasing in of a $25-per-hour minimum wage for coalition workers in California.
The Spin
Narrative B
While the agreement could set a higher standard for the healthcare industry nationwide, the unions' three-day walkout disrupted appointments and services, forced Kaiser to postpone procedures, and shut down more than 50 labs. Holding patients to ransom is no way to solve labor issues.
Nerd narrative
There's a 50% chance that at least 12% of American workers will be represented by a labor union in 2030, according to the Metaculus prediction community.