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That process ended Wednesday with a fact-finding report issued by a panel that includes one representative each from the union and the district, along with a neutral mediator.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The report does not go far enough — and the recommendations here alone will not solve the stability crisis in our district,” Cassondra Curiel, president of the United Educators of San Francisco, said in a statement. “Now is the time for the district to come to the table with real solutions and show the community that they are fully committed to funding the classrooms and schools our students and communities deserve.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The report is meant to offer an analysis of the merits of both the district’s and the union’s proposals, as well as nonbinding recommendations for a settlement. It recommends the district give union members a 3% raise for each of the next two years and fully fund health benefits for the next three years through existing parcel tax money. After that, the report said, the district should look into the possibility of extending full health care coverage through a different source.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12051869\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12051869\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250418-SFUSD-04-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250418-SFUSD-04-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250418-SFUSD-04-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250418-SFUSD-04-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The San Francisco Unified School District Administrative Offices in San Francisco on April 18, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Although the district concurred with the report’s findings, the union dissented in part. UESF argued that paraeducators, who are among the lowest paid in the union, need more than a 3% annual raise and that health benefit coverage should be ongoing, not limited to the next three years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The union has proposed 9% raises for teachers and 14% for paraeducators over two years, along with fully funded health care and a written commitment to the district’s sanctuary immigration policy and emergency shelter program for unhoused families.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The district has said that such a raise isn’t feasible given its current budget crisis, and it countered with an offer for a 2% raise for each of the next three years in October. Last month, it said it could fund Kaiser Permanente health care benefits through existing parcel tax funding until it expires in three years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The union said SFUSD rejected its sanctuary and housing proposals, which the district argued should be determined through district policy, not labor contracts. According to the fact-finding report, there are “significant challenges” associated with adding the language to educators’ contracts, which it said “imposes onerous responsibilities on the District as a landlord, job trainer, and legal advocate,” and opens SFUSD up to significant liability.[aside postID=news_12072028 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/20240827_SFUSDPROTEST_GC-6-KQED-1020x634.jpg']The district did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wednesday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ahead of the report’s release, Superintendent Maria Su said she believed the district and union were close to a deal and could avert a strike.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We are at the table; we want to continue and finish this conversation,” she said on Tuesday. “I know that we will be able to get to an agreement.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The union said in a statement that its bargaining team is prepared to negotiate on Thursday and Friday, though it is unlikely to back down on its core demands. UESF has repeatedly said that it will not sign a deal without fully funded health care coverage, and it’s not clear if it will accept the current temporary proposal. UESF said it hasn’t seen that proposal in writing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a dissent issued with the fact-finding report, Angela Su, who represented the union on the committee, said: “I agree that the district should tap into the resources available to fully fund dependent benefits … but dissent that it should be anything other than ongoing.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The union has said its members’ health care costs are rising exponentially, noting that as of 2026, a family of four pays more than $1,500 a month for coverage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Just this January, educators got a 20% increase in our health care costs,” Curiel said Wednesday on KQED’s Forum. “Folks that are teaching … are going to have to go home today and make tough decisions about whether or not they can afford other things for the rest of the month.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12046361\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12046361\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250421-SFUSDCentralCuts-06-BL_qed-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250421-SFUSDCentralCuts-06-BL_qed-1.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250421-SFUSDCentralCuts-06-BL_qed-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250421-SFUSDCentralCuts-06-BL_qed-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">San Francisco Unified School District Superintendent Dr. Maria Su speaks during a press conference at the school district offices in San Francisco on April 21, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In a statement on social media, Mayor Daniel Lurie said his office is in contact with both the district and union, urging them to “keep talking so kids can keep learning.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He also said that if a strike goes forward, he’s working with city departments to ensure there are options for students in case classrooms close.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Su has repeatedly said that closing campuses is a last resort, but could be necessary if they do not have sufficient staffing to open safely.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our working parents can’t afford to stay home if schools are closed,” Lurie said. “Our special needs students can’t afford to lose access to vital services that help them succeed.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The union and district could return to the bargaining table as soon as Thursday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "A fact-finding report from a neutral panel hewed closer to SFUSD’s proposals on pay and health care, which the teachers union rejected. A strike could start as soon as next week.",
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"title": "San Francisco Teachers Are on the Brink of a Strike After Mediation Ends With No Deal | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-francisco\">San Francisco\u003c/a> educators are on the brink of striking for the first time in nearly 50 years, as the teachers’ union said Wednesday that it had reached the end of mediation with the district without an agreement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The union has already authorized a strike, and now that the mediation process has concluded, educators could walk off the job as soon as next week if they don’t see a deal that meets their top demands, such as fully funded health care.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A monthslong impasse between the union and the San Francisco Unified School District brought both sides to mediation, a state-mandated step that legally must precede a teachers’ strike. That process ended Wednesday with a fact-finding report issued by a panel that includes one representative each from the union and the district, along with a neutral mediator.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The report does not go far enough — and the recommendations here alone will not solve the stability crisis in our district,” Cassondra Curiel, president of the United Educators of San Francisco, said in a statement. “Now is the time for the district to come to the table with real solutions and show the community that they are fully committed to funding the classrooms and schools our students and communities deserve.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The report is meant to offer an analysis of the merits of both the district’s and the union’s proposals, as well as nonbinding recommendations for a settlement. It recommends the district give union members a 3% raise for each of the next two years and fully fund health benefits for the next three years through existing parcel tax money. After that, the report said, the district should look into the possibility of extending full health care coverage through a different source.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12051869\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12051869\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250418-SFUSD-04-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250418-SFUSD-04-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250418-SFUSD-04-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250418-SFUSD-04-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The San Francisco Unified School District Administrative Offices in San Francisco on April 18, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Although the district concurred with the report’s findings, the union dissented in part. UESF argued that paraeducators, who are among the lowest paid in the union, need more than a 3% annual raise and that health benefit coverage should be ongoing, not limited to the next three years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The union has proposed 9% raises for teachers and 14% for paraeducators over two years, along with fully funded health care and a written commitment to the district’s sanctuary immigration policy and emergency shelter program for unhoused families.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The district has said that such a raise isn’t feasible given its current budget crisis, and it countered with an offer for a 2% raise for each of the next three years in October. Last month, it said it could fund Kaiser Permanente health care benefits through existing parcel tax funding until it expires in three years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The union said SFUSD rejected its sanctuary and housing proposals, which the district argued should be determined through district policy, not labor contracts. According to the fact-finding report, there are “significant challenges” associated with adding the language to educators’ contracts, which it said “imposes onerous responsibilities on the District as a landlord, job trainer, and legal advocate,” and opens SFUSD up to significant liability.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>The district did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wednesday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ahead of the report’s release, Superintendent Maria Su said she believed the district and union were close to a deal and could avert a strike.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We are at the table; we want to continue and finish this conversation,” she said on Tuesday. “I know that we will be able to get to an agreement.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The union said in a statement that its bargaining team is prepared to negotiate on Thursday and Friday, though it is unlikely to back down on its core demands. UESF has repeatedly said that it will not sign a deal without fully funded health care coverage, and it’s not clear if it will accept the current temporary proposal. UESF said it hasn’t seen that proposal in writing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a dissent issued with the fact-finding report, Angela Su, who represented the union on the committee, said: “I agree that the district should tap into the resources available to fully fund dependent benefits … but dissent that it should be anything other than ongoing.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The union has said its members’ health care costs are rising exponentially, noting that as of 2026, a family of four pays more than $1,500 a month for coverage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Just this January, educators got a 20% increase in our health care costs,” Curiel said Wednesday on KQED’s Forum. “Folks that are teaching … are going to have to go home today and make tough decisions about whether or not they can afford other things for the rest of the month.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12046361\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12046361\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250421-SFUSDCentralCuts-06-BL_qed-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250421-SFUSDCentralCuts-06-BL_qed-1.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250421-SFUSDCentralCuts-06-BL_qed-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250421-SFUSDCentralCuts-06-BL_qed-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">San Francisco Unified School District Superintendent Dr. Maria Su speaks during a press conference at the school district offices in San Francisco on April 21, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In a statement on social media, Mayor Daniel Lurie said his office is in contact with both the district and union, urging them to “keep talking so kids can keep learning.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He also said that if a strike goes forward, he’s working with city departments to ensure there are options for students in case classrooms close.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Su has repeatedly said that closing campuses is a last resort, but could be necessary if they do not have sufficient staffing to open safely.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our working parents can’t afford to stay home if schools are closed,” Lurie said. “Our special needs students can’t afford to lose access to vital services that help them succeed.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The union and district could return to the bargaining table as soon as Thursday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "kaiser-strike-sees-thousands-walk-out-in-california-this-time-with-no-end-in-sight",
"title": "Kaiser Strike Sees Thousands Walk Out in California, This Time With No End in Sight",
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"headTitle": "Kaiser Strike Sees Thousands Walk Out in California, This Time With No End in Sight | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>A monthslong labor dispute over staffing and compensation at \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/kaiser-permanente\">Kaiser Permanente\u003c/a> escalated into an open-ended strike beginning Monday, threatening to disrupt operations at dozens of hospitals and clinics across California and Hawaii.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Thousands of nurses, physical therapists, midwives and other health professionals voted to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12070263/union-of-31000-kaiser-workers-to-go-on-indefinite-strike\">walk off their jobs\u003c/a> for days or even weeks to pressure California’s largest private employer to concede ground on top union demands, at a time the industry faces financial headwinds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals, which represents about 31,000 employees, accuses Kaiser of squeezing patient care and staffing for revenue as it expanded to other states — a claim that the nonprofit organization denies, arguing it meets all staffing and safety requirements.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Picketers on Monday morning outside Kaiser’s Oakland Medical Center, near the employer’s headquarters, said wages need to keep up with inflation and the cost of living after they accepted smaller pay raises during the pandemic. Many also participated in a larger \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12060288/kaiser-strike-ends-sunday-as-union-and-management-plan-to-resume-wage-talks\">five-day strike\u003c/a> in several states in October as part of the Alliance of Healthcare Unions and a one-day walkout in September.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re fighting for our livelihoods, we’re fighting for patient care,” said Jessica Servin, a nurse anesthetist in San Francisco. She said patients are facing long waitlists for appointments and surgeries and struggling to get necessary care in a timely manner.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12071030\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/260126-KAISER-STRIKE-BEGINS-MD-01-KQED.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12071030\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/260126-KAISER-STRIKE-BEGINS-MD-01-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/260126-KAISER-STRIKE-BEGINS-MD-01-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/260126-KAISER-STRIKE-BEGINS-MD-01-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/260126-KAISER-STRIKE-BEGINS-MD-01-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Workers strike at Kaiser Oakland Medical Center in Oakland on Jan. 26, 2026. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“I believed their values and their mission statement,” said Servin, who joined Kaiser as a nurse almost 20 years ago. “It feels like they’re deviating from the foundation of why Kaiser was built. It feels kind of sad to be here and realize that Kaiser is choosing profit over patients.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kaiser said its health care workers earn more on average than those at other employers and dismissed claims that the quality of its patient care is at risk, pointing to a turnover rate that the organization said is much lower than it is for the rest of the industry. Executives said they aim to balance managing growing payroll costs with keeping care affordable for more than 12 million people Kaiser serves, most of them in California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“These negotiations come at a time when health care costs are rising, and millions of Americans are at risk of losing access to health coverage,” Lionel Sims, senior vice president of human resources at Kaiser Northern California, said in a statement. “This underscores our responsibility to deliver fair, competitive pay for employees while protecting access and affordability for our members. We’re doing both.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hospitals, emergency rooms, pharmacies and nearly all medical offices will remain open during the strike, while patients will be contacted in advance if their care is affected, according to Kaiser. The employer plans to reschedule some surgeries and other procedures.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Disruptions could be larger in Southern California, where about 28,000 UNAC/UHCP members are based, making up the vast majority. The union represents just 2,800 members in Northern California, including physician assistants and speech therapists, and 200 in Hawaii.[aside postID=news_12070138 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/StoneWorkerGetty2.jpg']For months, the union has sought a 25% pay increase over a four-year contract, but management has stuck to its offer to raise wages by 21.5%, calling it the strongest compensation package in Kaiser’s national bargaining history. Since the October walkout, the employer said it reached tentative agreements with other Alliance unions, strengthening staffing and scheduling.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It is disheartening that UNAC/UHCP leaders continue to talk about improving care, when this strike, and their actions over the past several months, are really all about higher wages,” Sims said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kaiser, founded in 1945 in Oakland, employs more than 180,000 people in nine states and the District of Columbia. As a nonprofit health plan and care provider, Kaiser said it reinvests its revenue into running and improving its hospitals, clinics and community programs, emphasizing preventive medicine.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The company rebounded from a net loss of about $4.5 billion in 2022 to positive net income from operations and investments in later years, posting nearly $13 billion in 2024 and $8 billion for the first three quarters of 2025, according to its most recent financial results.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This month, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Kaiser agreed to pay \u003ca href=\"https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/kaiser-permanente-affiliates-pay-556m-resolve-false-claims-act-allegations\">$556 million\u003c/a> to settle allegations that it defrauded Medicare to increase reimbursements by pressuring doctors in California and Colorado to alter medical records and add diagnoses after patient visits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Brian Mason, UNAC/UHCP’s lead negotiator, said the company floated cutting retirement and health care benefits for newer union members, which would neutralize higher wages. He said management has also refused to bargain on proposals that would allow workers to give patients the care and time they need, though Kaiser disputes that.\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"mceTemp\">\u003c/div>\n\u003cp>“Nobody wants to go to an appointment when you’re sick and feel like you’re being rushed because your provider has to get to the next patient and the next,” Mason said. “This strike is to ensure that patient care continues to be the best that it can be and that Kaiser doesn’t continue down this financial-lies path where they’re treating health care like a hedge fund.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12071036\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/260126-KAISER-STRIKE-BEGINS-MD-08-KQED.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12071036\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/260126-KAISER-STRIKE-BEGINS-MD-08-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/260126-KAISER-STRIKE-BEGINS-MD-08-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/260126-KAISER-STRIKE-BEGINS-MD-08-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/260126-KAISER-STRIKE-BEGINS-MD-08-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sanne Jacobsen attends the strike at Kaiser Oakland Medical Center in Oakland on Jan. 26, 2026. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Sanne Jacobsen, a nurse anesthetist in Oakland, said providers are overbooked and left out of scheduling conversations. She said that the company has struggled to recruit and retain staff.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s delayed appointments, delayed surgeries… and in places like the clinics where people are getting physical therapy, those physical therapists don’t have adequate time to actually treat the patients well,” Jacobsen said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Staffing ratios and wages became top concerns for health care workers as the sector has increasingly consolidated and executive pay has soared, according to labor experts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>More than 15,000 nurses at three major hospitals in \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/nursing-strike-new-york-5647ac366a8d067785b9cb4005204878\">New York\u003c/a> went on strike this month, and hundreds more in Grand Blanc, Michigan, remained at the picket line under freezing conditions. Nurses in five other states are threatening walkouts, according to the website \u003ca href=\"https://nurse.org/articles/nurse-strikes-list/\">nurse.org\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One factor in Kaiser’s reluctance to commit to additional payroll costs is an uncertain financial forecast under the Trump administration, said John Logan, who chairs the labor and employment studies program at San Francisco State University. Federal policies that are expected to increase the number of uninsured Americans could affect Kaiser’s bottom line.[aside postID=news_12069984 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251014-KAISER-STRIKE-START-MD-06-KQED.jpg']“Kaiser management wants to give itself as much flexibility and wants to avoid making concrete, enforceable commitments to the union in terms of staffing levels and working conditions that it might see are going to be a huge liability in that changing environment,” Logan said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The union points to Kaiser’s $66 billion in reserves as proof that it can afford improved staffing and benefits, though the company said that the funds are for long-term commitments such as pensions and building maintenance, not ongoing payroll increases.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, frontline employees want executives to invest more of the nonprofit organization’s financial income on its workforce and patient care, said Rebecca Givan, an associate professor in the School of Management and Labor Relations at Rutgers University.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s clearly the case that Kaiser, by any metric, is taking in a lot of money,” Givan said. “It has very highly paid executives and the leaders of Kaiser are making choices about where to invest their money. And these frontline workers feel that a little bit more should be on the frontline and not elsewhere.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jacobsen, who’s a member of the union’s bargaining team, said the company’s negotiating behavior felt like “an investment bank that poses as a health care organization.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“For them to say that they can’t afford to pay us fair wages? I think we know where the greed is,” she said on the picket line on Monday. “It’s not out here on the line. It’s way up there in the corporate office.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>National negotiations that started in May were paused by Kaiser last month, after executives said the union threatened to release damning information about the company. The union then published \u003ca href=\"https://unacuhcp.org/caregivers/\">a report\u003c/a> on Kaiser’s financials, including linking the employer’s investments to Geo Group and CoreCivic, private prison companies that also run many immigration detention centers. Kaiser slammed the findings as a “collection of misrepresentation of facts.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Over the weekend, Kaiser and the union met for negotiations, but workers said they weren’t productive and the strike will continue. The employer said it’s onboarding nurses, clinicians and other staff to work during the walkout, and reassigning some employees to work at strike locations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/kdebenedetti\">\u003cem>Katie DeBenedetti\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "The strike by a union representing 31,000 nurses, physical therapists, midwives and others at Kaiser Permanente comes amid a monthslong labor dispute over staffing and compensation.",
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"title": "Kaiser Strike Sees Thousands Walk Out in California, This Time With No End in Sight | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>A monthslong labor dispute over staffing and compensation at \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/kaiser-permanente\">Kaiser Permanente\u003c/a> escalated into an open-ended strike beginning Monday, threatening to disrupt operations at dozens of hospitals and clinics across California and Hawaii.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Thousands of nurses, physical therapists, midwives and other health professionals voted to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12070263/union-of-31000-kaiser-workers-to-go-on-indefinite-strike\">walk off their jobs\u003c/a> for days or even weeks to pressure California’s largest private employer to concede ground on top union demands, at a time the industry faces financial headwinds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals, which represents about 31,000 employees, accuses Kaiser of squeezing patient care and staffing for revenue as it expanded to other states — a claim that the nonprofit organization denies, arguing it meets all staffing and safety requirements.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Picketers on Monday morning outside Kaiser’s Oakland Medical Center, near the employer’s headquarters, said wages need to keep up with inflation and the cost of living after they accepted smaller pay raises during the pandemic. Many also participated in a larger \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12060288/kaiser-strike-ends-sunday-as-union-and-management-plan-to-resume-wage-talks\">five-day strike\u003c/a> in several states in October as part of the Alliance of Healthcare Unions and a one-day walkout in September.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re fighting for our livelihoods, we’re fighting for patient care,” said Jessica Servin, a nurse anesthetist in San Francisco. She said patients are facing long waitlists for appointments and surgeries and struggling to get necessary care in a timely manner.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12071030\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/260126-KAISER-STRIKE-BEGINS-MD-01-KQED.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12071030\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/260126-KAISER-STRIKE-BEGINS-MD-01-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/260126-KAISER-STRIKE-BEGINS-MD-01-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/260126-KAISER-STRIKE-BEGINS-MD-01-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/260126-KAISER-STRIKE-BEGINS-MD-01-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Workers strike at Kaiser Oakland Medical Center in Oakland on Jan. 26, 2026. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“I believed their values and their mission statement,” said Servin, who joined Kaiser as a nurse almost 20 years ago. “It feels like they’re deviating from the foundation of why Kaiser was built. It feels kind of sad to be here and realize that Kaiser is choosing profit over patients.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kaiser said its health care workers earn more on average than those at other employers and dismissed claims that the quality of its patient care is at risk, pointing to a turnover rate that the organization said is much lower than it is for the rest of the industry. Executives said they aim to balance managing growing payroll costs with keeping care affordable for more than 12 million people Kaiser serves, most of them in California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“These negotiations come at a time when health care costs are rising, and millions of Americans are at risk of losing access to health coverage,” Lionel Sims, senior vice president of human resources at Kaiser Northern California, said in a statement. “This underscores our responsibility to deliver fair, competitive pay for employees while protecting access and affordability for our members. We’re doing both.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hospitals, emergency rooms, pharmacies and nearly all medical offices will remain open during the strike, while patients will be contacted in advance if their care is affected, according to Kaiser. The employer plans to reschedule some surgeries and other procedures.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Disruptions could be larger in Southern California, where about 28,000 UNAC/UHCP members are based, making up the vast majority. The union represents just 2,800 members in Northern California, including physician assistants and speech therapists, and 200 in Hawaii.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>For months, the union has sought a 25% pay increase over a four-year contract, but management has stuck to its offer to raise wages by 21.5%, calling it the strongest compensation package in Kaiser’s national bargaining history. Since the October walkout, the employer said it reached tentative agreements with other Alliance unions, strengthening staffing and scheduling.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It is disheartening that UNAC/UHCP leaders continue to talk about improving care, when this strike, and their actions over the past several months, are really all about higher wages,” Sims said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kaiser, founded in 1945 in Oakland, employs more than 180,000 people in nine states and the District of Columbia. As a nonprofit health plan and care provider, Kaiser said it reinvests its revenue into running and improving its hospitals, clinics and community programs, emphasizing preventive medicine.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The company rebounded from a net loss of about $4.5 billion in 2022 to positive net income from operations and investments in later years, posting nearly $13 billion in 2024 and $8 billion for the first three quarters of 2025, according to its most recent financial results.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This month, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Kaiser agreed to pay \u003ca href=\"https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/kaiser-permanente-affiliates-pay-556m-resolve-false-claims-act-allegations\">$556 million\u003c/a> to settle allegations that it defrauded Medicare to increase reimbursements by pressuring doctors in California and Colorado to alter medical records and add diagnoses after patient visits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Brian Mason, UNAC/UHCP’s lead negotiator, said the company floated cutting retirement and health care benefits for newer union members, which would neutralize higher wages. He said management has also refused to bargain on proposals that would allow workers to give patients the care and time they need, though Kaiser disputes that.\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"mceTemp\">\u003c/div>\n\u003cp>“Nobody wants to go to an appointment when you’re sick and feel like you’re being rushed because your provider has to get to the next patient and the next,” Mason said. “This strike is to ensure that patient care continues to be the best that it can be and that Kaiser doesn’t continue down this financial-lies path where they’re treating health care like a hedge fund.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12071036\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/260126-KAISER-STRIKE-BEGINS-MD-08-KQED.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12071036\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/260126-KAISER-STRIKE-BEGINS-MD-08-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/260126-KAISER-STRIKE-BEGINS-MD-08-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/260126-KAISER-STRIKE-BEGINS-MD-08-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/260126-KAISER-STRIKE-BEGINS-MD-08-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sanne Jacobsen attends the strike at Kaiser Oakland Medical Center in Oakland on Jan. 26, 2026. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Sanne Jacobsen, a nurse anesthetist in Oakland, said providers are overbooked and left out of scheduling conversations. She said that the company has struggled to recruit and retain staff.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s delayed appointments, delayed surgeries… and in places like the clinics where people are getting physical therapy, those physical therapists don’t have adequate time to actually treat the patients well,” Jacobsen said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Staffing ratios and wages became top concerns for health care workers as the sector has increasingly consolidated and executive pay has soared, according to labor experts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>More than 15,000 nurses at three major hospitals in \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/nursing-strike-new-york-5647ac366a8d067785b9cb4005204878\">New York\u003c/a> went on strike this month, and hundreds more in Grand Blanc, Michigan, remained at the picket line under freezing conditions. Nurses in five other states are threatening walkouts, according to the website \u003ca href=\"https://nurse.org/articles/nurse-strikes-list/\">nurse.org\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One factor in Kaiser’s reluctance to commit to additional payroll costs is an uncertain financial forecast under the Trump administration, said John Logan, who chairs the labor and employment studies program at San Francisco State University. Federal policies that are expected to increase the number of uninsured Americans could affect Kaiser’s bottom line.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“Kaiser management wants to give itself as much flexibility and wants to avoid making concrete, enforceable commitments to the union in terms of staffing levels and working conditions that it might see are going to be a huge liability in that changing environment,” Logan said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The union points to Kaiser’s $66 billion in reserves as proof that it can afford improved staffing and benefits, though the company said that the funds are for long-term commitments such as pensions and building maintenance, not ongoing payroll increases.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, frontline employees want executives to invest more of the nonprofit organization’s financial income on its workforce and patient care, said Rebecca Givan, an associate professor in the School of Management and Labor Relations at Rutgers University.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s clearly the case that Kaiser, by any metric, is taking in a lot of money,” Givan said. “It has very highly paid executives and the leaders of Kaiser are making choices about where to invest their money. And these frontline workers feel that a little bit more should be on the frontline and not elsewhere.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jacobsen, who’s a member of the union’s bargaining team, said the company’s negotiating behavior felt like “an investment bank that poses as a health care organization.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“For them to say that they can’t afford to pay us fair wages? I think we know where the greed is,” she said on the picket line on Monday. “It’s not out here on the line. It’s way up there in the corporate office.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>National negotiations that started in May were paused by Kaiser last month, after executives said the union threatened to release damning information about the company. The union then published \u003ca href=\"https://unacuhcp.org/caregivers/\">a report\u003c/a> on Kaiser’s financials, including linking the employer’s investments to Geo Group and CoreCivic, private prison companies that also run many immigration detention centers. Kaiser slammed the findings as a “collection of misrepresentation of facts.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Over the weekend, Kaiser and the union met for negotiations, but workers said they weren’t productive and the strike will continue. The employer said it’s onboarding nurses, clinicians and other staff to work during the walkout, and reassigning some employees to work at strike locations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/kdebenedetti\">\u003cem>Katie DeBenedetti\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"title": "Union of 31,000 Kaiser Workers to Go on Indefinite Strike",
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"content": "\u003cp>The union representing 31,000 nurses, rehab therapists, pharmacists and other specialty health care professionals at \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/kaiser-permanente\">Kaiser Permanente\u003c/a> plans to go on an open-ended strike at hospitals and clinics across California and Hawaii, it said this week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After both sides hit a wall in their months-long contract talks, the walkout is set to begin Jan. 26 at nearly 20 Kaiser hospitals and 200 clinics, with no end in sight.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We will be on strike until we reach an agreement,” said Brian Mason, a negotiator for the United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals. He warned that the strike will likely cause delayed or canceled surgeries and appointments.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>UNAC/UHCP is part of an alliance of health care unions negotiating with Kaiser for a new set of national and local contracts. In October, about 61,000 members of the alliance \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12060288/kaiser-strike-ends-sunday-as-union-and-management-plan-to-resume-wage-talks\">staged a five-day, multi-state strike\u003c/a> to demand wage and staffing increases.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Talks resumed after the walkout, but they broke down in mid-December when Kaiser negotiators accused UNAC/UHCP leaders of not bargaining in good faith.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVpegM9XML4\">statement issued on YouTube\u003c/a>, chief human resources officer Greg Holmes said a union official threatened to release “evidence of illegal, unethical and reputationally damaging information about Kaiser Permanente” unless both sides reached an acceptable agreement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11963437\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11963437\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/10/231004-KAISER-STRIKE-OAKLAND-MD-13-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"A large group of people line the sidewalk in front of a large building.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/10/231004-KAISER-STRIKE-OAKLAND-MD-13-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/10/231004-KAISER-STRIKE-OAKLAND-MD-13-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/10/231004-KAISER-STRIKE-OAKLAND-MD-13-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/10/231004-KAISER-STRIKE-OAKLAND-MD-13-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/10/231004-KAISER-STRIKE-OAKLAND-MD-13-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/10/231004-KAISER-STRIKE-OAKLAND-MD-13-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kaiser workers strike in front of a sign at the Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center in Oakland on Oct. 2, 2023 \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Kaiser \u003ca href=\"https://about.kaiserpermanente.org/who-we-are/labor-relations/alliance-national-bargaining/media-statements/kaiser-permanente-statement-on-a-path-forward-in-alliance-bargaining\">proposed moving forward\u003c/a> with contract negotiations at a local level with other unions in the alliance — a move that prompted UNAC/UHCP to file an unfair labor practice charge at the National Labor Relations Board.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The union accused Kaiser of trying to bypass the agreed-upon national bargaining process.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Thursday, it posted \u003ca href=\"https://unacuhcp.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/ProfitsOverPatients_2026.pdf\">a report online\u003c/a> alleging that the Kaiser Permanente Group Trust, which manages pension funds for employees, invested in CoreCivic and the GEO Group, private prison companies that run detention centers for Immigration and Customs Enforcement.[aside postID=news_12069414 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/011326_SOLANO-COUNTY-STRIKE-_GH_022-KQED.jpg']“When Kaiser claims it cannot afford meaningful improvements and summarily rejects proposals that would enhance patient care and health care provider well-being, its financial priorities merit detailed scrutiny,” the report said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kaiser has not replied to an email message seeking questions about the union’s claim and its financial investments. Other unions in the alliance are not participating in the upcoming strike.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The alliance has been seeking a 25% wage boost over four years for employees, saying they are underpaid. Kaiser, which maintains that workers already earn above-market wages, has drawn the line at 21.5%.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The difference, which adds up to roughly $300 million a year in salary costs, is what Kaiser said could force it to raise rates among its 12.6 million members, most of them in California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Union representatives maintain that Kaiser can meet their demands given its profits and an estimated $66 billion in reserves.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "The walkout at nearly 20 Kaiser hospitals and 200 clinics is set to begin Jan. 26, with no end in sight. A union leader warns of delayed or canceled surgeries and appointments. ",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>The union representing 31,000 nurses, rehab therapists, pharmacists and other specialty health care professionals at \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/kaiser-permanente\">Kaiser Permanente\u003c/a> plans to go on an open-ended strike at hospitals and clinics across California and Hawaii, it said this week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After both sides hit a wall in their months-long contract talks, the walkout is set to begin Jan. 26 at nearly 20 Kaiser hospitals and 200 clinics, with no end in sight.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We will be on strike until we reach an agreement,” said Brian Mason, a negotiator for the United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals. He warned that the strike will likely cause delayed or canceled surgeries and appointments.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>UNAC/UHCP is part of an alliance of health care unions negotiating with Kaiser for a new set of national and local contracts. In October, about 61,000 members of the alliance \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12060288/kaiser-strike-ends-sunday-as-union-and-management-plan-to-resume-wage-talks\">staged a five-day, multi-state strike\u003c/a> to demand wage and staffing increases.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Talks resumed after the walkout, but they broke down in mid-December when Kaiser negotiators accused UNAC/UHCP leaders of not bargaining in good faith.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVpegM9XML4\">statement issued on YouTube\u003c/a>, chief human resources officer Greg Holmes said a union official threatened to release “evidence of illegal, unethical and reputationally damaging information about Kaiser Permanente” unless both sides reached an acceptable agreement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11963437\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11963437\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/10/231004-KAISER-STRIKE-OAKLAND-MD-13-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"A large group of people line the sidewalk in front of a large building.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/10/231004-KAISER-STRIKE-OAKLAND-MD-13-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/10/231004-KAISER-STRIKE-OAKLAND-MD-13-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/10/231004-KAISER-STRIKE-OAKLAND-MD-13-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/10/231004-KAISER-STRIKE-OAKLAND-MD-13-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/10/231004-KAISER-STRIKE-OAKLAND-MD-13-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/10/231004-KAISER-STRIKE-OAKLAND-MD-13-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kaiser workers strike in front of a sign at the Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center in Oakland on Oct. 2, 2023 \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Kaiser \u003ca href=\"https://about.kaiserpermanente.org/who-we-are/labor-relations/alliance-national-bargaining/media-statements/kaiser-permanente-statement-on-a-path-forward-in-alliance-bargaining\">proposed moving forward\u003c/a> with contract negotiations at a local level with other unions in the alliance — a move that prompted UNAC/UHCP to file an unfair labor practice charge at the National Labor Relations Board.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The union accused Kaiser of trying to bypass the agreed-upon national bargaining process.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Thursday, it posted \u003ca href=\"https://unacuhcp.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/ProfitsOverPatients_2026.pdf\">a report online\u003c/a> alleging that the Kaiser Permanente Group Trust, which manages pension funds for employees, invested in CoreCivic and the GEO Group, private prison companies that run detention centers for Immigration and Customs Enforcement.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“When Kaiser claims it cannot afford meaningful improvements and summarily rejects proposals that would enhance patient care and health care provider well-being, its financial priorities merit detailed scrutiny,” the report said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kaiser has not replied to an email message seeking questions about the union’s claim and its financial investments. Other unions in the alliance are not participating in the upcoming strike.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The alliance has been seeking a 25% wage boost over four years for employees, saying they are underpaid. Kaiser, which maintains that workers already earn above-market wages, has drawn the line at 21.5%.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The difference, which adds up to roughly $300 million a year in salary costs, is what Kaiser said could force it to raise rates among its 12.6 million members, most of them in California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Union representatives maintain that Kaiser can meet their demands given its profits and an estimated $66 billion in reserves.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "solano-county-public-service-workers-launch-2-day-strike",
"title": "Solano County Public Service Workers Launch 2-Day Strike",
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"content": "\u003cp>Thousands of Solano County workers launched a two-day strike Tuesday, after monthslong negotiations have yielded little progress on new labor agreements.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>About 2,000 employees who walked off the job include social workers, engineers and administrative staff working under contracts that lapsed in October. They’re asking for higher wages and better benefits to ease what they say is a recruitment and retention crisis that’s harming both employees and residents in Solano County.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Outside a county social services building in Fairfield on Tuesday morning, workers chanted and walked the picket lines. Among them was Richard Livingston Jr., a supervisor at Solano County Older and Disabled Adult Services who has worked for the county for 26 years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While he’s been through contract fights before, Livingston noted that four unions have come together this time around.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“So you have workers, supervisors, managers; you have physicians; you have custodial; you have professional, technical; all these folks are here together,” Livingston said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If you take care of the workers, the people that take care of the people, you’re taking care of the people,” he continued. “There’s a lot of people who work here in Solano County who said they can’t afford to live here now.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12069602\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12069602\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/011326_SOLANO-COUNTY-STRIKE-_GH_010-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/011326_SOLANO-COUNTY-STRIKE-_GH_010-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/011326_SOLANO-COUNTY-STRIKE-_GH_010-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/011326_SOLANO-COUNTY-STRIKE-_GH_010-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Protesters hold up signs calling for fully funded mental health services during a Solano County workers strike on Jan. 13, 2026, in Fairfield. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Linda Cheesman, a supervisor in Solano County’s General Services department, said in a statement that workers are stretched thin and services are delayed because of hundreds of vacant positions, adding that the county’s employees are under “serious strain.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“County workers want to help build a Solano for all, but we need the county to meet us with a fair and equitable contract so we can attract and retain the staff our community relies on,” she continued.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The workers represented by Service Employees International Union Local 1021, International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers Local 21, International Union of Operating Engineers Local 39 and Union of American Physicians and Dentists are bargaining separate contracts, but social worker Elizabeth Harrison said many of their core demands are the same: better retention rates and recruitment efforts to ease chronic understaffing in county departments.[aside postID=news_12068383 hero='https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/04/001_KQED_Oakland_HighlandHospital_041152020-1020x680.jpg']“The bottom-line to that is … we’re talking about having a community that deserves fully staffed, safe and reliable public services,” Harrison, who is a member of SEIU Local 1021, said. “If we cannot get retention and recruitment under control, then what we have is as many people come in the front door to be hired as people go out the back door. They leave.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Harrison, who has been an adult protective services social worker in the county for 13 years, said that vacant positions in her department means she and other employees have unmanageable caseloads and rising rates of burnout, while some of their clients experience long wait times for care.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When we have positions like mine, or [in] public works or agriculture, the chronic understaffing puts all of us at risk,” she told KQED. “People have growing safety concerns for the workers and the public.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The unions are asking for higher wages and better benefit coverage to encourage people to come to work for the county, and to stay for longer periods.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12069601\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12069601\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/011326_SOLANO-COUNTY-STRIKE-_GH_002-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/011326_SOLANO-COUNTY-STRIKE-_GH_002-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/011326_SOLANO-COUNTY-STRIKE-_GH_002-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/011326_SOLANO-COUNTY-STRIKE-_GH_002-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Union members and supporters march through downtown Fairfield as Solano County workers went on strike after contract talks with the county stalled on Jan. 13, 2026. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“It’s not primarily the wages and the benefits, but those things play a part in retention and recruitment which then plays a part in having high quality public services. It all ties together,” Harrison told KQED.\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"mceTemp\">\u003c/div>\n\u003cp>Tazamisha Alexander, a benefits eligibility specialist for the county and a member of her union’s negotiating team, said Tuesday on the picket line that talks with the county have been difficult.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The county hasn’t really negotiated anything,” Alexander said. “The previous contract, there was a back-and-forth. We talked about things. That’s why we didn’t have to go out. This time around, it’s just been a bunch of no.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The county said it’s offered a proposal that includes salary increases, higher insurance contributions and additional benefits totalling over $90 million, and is weighing the union’s requests with its current fiscal outlook and “ongoing budget pressures.” In negotiations, officials have emphasized the “need to balance fair compensation with the County’s responsibility to maintain essential services and fiscal sustainability for the community,” the county said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Megan Richards, a management analyst in the Solano County Administrator’s Office, said the county is anticipating possible cost increases to run federal programs like Medicare or CalFresh, which are implementing new work requirements and other qualification restrictions and could shift additional administrative tasks to the county level. She also said Solano faces uncertainty in state and federal budget plans.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12069600\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12069600\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/011326_SOLANO-COUNTY-STRIKE-_GH_001-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/011326_SOLANO-COUNTY-STRIKE-_GH_001-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/011326_SOLANO-COUNTY-STRIKE-_GH_001-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/011326_SOLANO-COUNTY-STRIKE-_GH_001-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Akbar Bibb, a member of SEIU Local 1021, speaks to a crowd of county workers and supporters during a strike rally outside the Solano County Government Center on Jan. 13, 2026, in Fairfield. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The strike that began Tuesday is directly over the county’s approach to bargaining after the unions jointly filed unfair labor practices charges with the state over the issue in December.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You go into a negotiation and you expect to have some movement back and forth, some real talks and real negotiations, but they’ve stalled,” Harrison said. “For lack of better words, it’s a waste of time.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Workers formed strike lines beginning at 7 a.m. Tuesday outside both the county’s Health and Social Services and administrative building in Fairfield, with others planned near county worksites in Vallejo, Vacaville and Cordelia.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The action was expected to have rippling impacts on county services Tuesday and Wednesday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Department of Health and Human Services said most of its divisions will be open for emergency response, but appointments will be rescheduled, and some services will be delayed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12069632\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12069632\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/011326_Solano-County-Strike-_GH_017_qed-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/011326_Solano-County-Strike-_GH_017_qed-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/011326_Solano-County-Strike-_GH_017_qed-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/011326_Solano-County-Strike-_GH_017_qed-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A striking Solano County worker leads Solano County workers through downtown Fairfield during a strike march over contract negotiations on Jan. 13, 2026. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Lynch Canyon Open Space and Patwino Worrtla Kodoi Dihi Open Space will both be closed, while other beaches and county parks remain open. The Fairfield Civic Center Library will remain open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., while other locations will be closed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, other services could still be delayed, and closures could occur, the county said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Contract negotiations are ongoing, and the parties could return to the bargaining table at any time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“What we’re looking to do is make sure that we have real movement and real respect at the bargaining table, and we have not experienced that from our employer here at Solano County,” said Harrison.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/rsgirldaisy/?hl=en\">\u003cem>Daisy Nguyen\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Workers gathered Tuesday outside of the county’s administrative building in Fairfield, and county worksites in Vallejo, Vacaville and Cordelia. \r\n",
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"title": "Solano County Public Service Workers Launch 2-Day Strike | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Thousands of Solano County workers launched a two-day strike Tuesday, after monthslong negotiations have yielded little progress on new labor agreements.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>About 2,000 employees who walked off the job include social workers, engineers and administrative staff working under contracts that lapsed in October. They’re asking for higher wages and better benefits to ease what they say is a recruitment and retention crisis that’s harming both employees and residents in Solano County.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Outside a county social services building in Fairfield on Tuesday morning, workers chanted and walked the picket lines. Among them was Richard Livingston Jr., a supervisor at Solano County Older and Disabled Adult Services who has worked for the county for 26 years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While he’s been through contract fights before, Livingston noted that four unions have come together this time around.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“So you have workers, supervisors, managers; you have physicians; you have custodial; you have professional, technical; all these folks are here together,” Livingston said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If you take care of the workers, the people that take care of the people, you’re taking care of the people,” he continued. “There’s a lot of people who work here in Solano County who said they can’t afford to live here now.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12069602\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12069602\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/011326_SOLANO-COUNTY-STRIKE-_GH_010-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/011326_SOLANO-COUNTY-STRIKE-_GH_010-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/011326_SOLANO-COUNTY-STRIKE-_GH_010-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/011326_SOLANO-COUNTY-STRIKE-_GH_010-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Protesters hold up signs calling for fully funded mental health services during a Solano County workers strike on Jan. 13, 2026, in Fairfield. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Linda Cheesman, a supervisor in Solano County’s General Services department, said in a statement that workers are stretched thin and services are delayed because of hundreds of vacant positions, adding that the county’s employees are under “serious strain.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“County workers want to help build a Solano for all, but we need the county to meet us with a fair and equitable contract so we can attract and retain the staff our community relies on,” she continued.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The workers represented by Service Employees International Union Local 1021, International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers Local 21, International Union of Operating Engineers Local 39 and Union of American Physicians and Dentists are bargaining separate contracts, but social worker Elizabeth Harrison said many of their core demands are the same: better retention rates and recruitment efforts to ease chronic understaffing in county departments.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“The bottom-line to that is … we’re talking about having a community that deserves fully staffed, safe and reliable public services,” Harrison, who is a member of SEIU Local 1021, said. “If we cannot get retention and recruitment under control, then what we have is as many people come in the front door to be hired as people go out the back door. They leave.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Harrison, who has been an adult protective services social worker in the county for 13 years, said that vacant positions in her department means she and other employees have unmanageable caseloads and rising rates of burnout, while some of their clients experience long wait times for care.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When we have positions like mine, or [in] public works or agriculture, the chronic understaffing puts all of us at risk,” she told KQED. “People have growing safety concerns for the workers and the public.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The unions are asking for higher wages and better benefit coverage to encourage people to come to work for the county, and to stay for longer periods.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12069601\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12069601\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/011326_SOLANO-COUNTY-STRIKE-_GH_002-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/011326_SOLANO-COUNTY-STRIKE-_GH_002-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/011326_SOLANO-COUNTY-STRIKE-_GH_002-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/011326_SOLANO-COUNTY-STRIKE-_GH_002-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Union members and supporters march through downtown Fairfield as Solano County workers went on strike after contract talks with the county stalled on Jan. 13, 2026. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“It’s not primarily the wages and the benefits, but those things play a part in retention and recruitment which then plays a part in having high quality public services. It all ties together,” Harrison told KQED.\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"mceTemp\">\u003c/div>\n\u003cp>Tazamisha Alexander, a benefits eligibility specialist for the county and a member of her union’s negotiating team, said Tuesday on the picket line that talks with the county have been difficult.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The county hasn’t really negotiated anything,” Alexander said. “The previous contract, there was a back-and-forth. We talked about things. That’s why we didn’t have to go out. This time around, it’s just been a bunch of no.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The county said it’s offered a proposal that includes salary increases, higher insurance contributions and additional benefits totalling over $90 million, and is weighing the union’s requests with its current fiscal outlook and “ongoing budget pressures.” In negotiations, officials have emphasized the “need to balance fair compensation with the County’s responsibility to maintain essential services and fiscal sustainability for the community,” the county said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Megan Richards, a management analyst in the Solano County Administrator’s Office, said the county is anticipating possible cost increases to run federal programs like Medicare or CalFresh, which are implementing new work requirements and other qualification restrictions and could shift additional administrative tasks to the county level. She also said Solano faces uncertainty in state and federal budget plans.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12069600\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12069600\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/011326_SOLANO-COUNTY-STRIKE-_GH_001-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/011326_SOLANO-COUNTY-STRIKE-_GH_001-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/011326_SOLANO-COUNTY-STRIKE-_GH_001-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/011326_SOLANO-COUNTY-STRIKE-_GH_001-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Akbar Bibb, a member of SEIU Local 1021, speaks to a crowd of county workers and supporters during a strike rally outside the Solano County Government Center on Jan. 13, 2026, in Fairfield. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The strike that began Tuesday is directly over the county’s approach to bargaining after the unions jointly filed unfair labor practices charges with the state over the issue in December.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You go into a negotiation and you expect to have some movement back and forth, some real talks and real negotiations, but they’ve stalled,” Harrison said. “For lack of better words, it’s a waste of time.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Workers formed strike lines beginning at 7 a.m. Tuesday outside both the county’s Health and Social Services and administrative building in Fairfield, with others planned near county worksites in Vallejo, Vacaville and Cordelia.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The action was expected to have rippling impacts on county services Tuesday and Wednesday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Department of Health and Human Services said most of its divisions will be open for emergency response, but appointments will be rescheduled, and some services will be delayed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12069632\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12069632\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/011326_Solano-County-Strike-_GH_017_qed-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/011326_Solano-County-Strike-_GH_017_qed-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/011326_Solano-County-Strike-_GH_017_qed-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/011326_Solano-County-Strike-_GH_017_qed-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A striking Solano County worker leads Solano County workers through downtown Fairfield during a strike march over contract negotiations on Jan. 13, 2026. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Lynch Canyon Open Space and Patwino Worrtla Kodoi Dihi Open Space will both be closed, while other beaches and county parks remain open. The Fairfield Civic Center Library will remain open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., while other locations will be closed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, other services could still be delayed, and closures could occur, the county said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Contract negotiations are ongoing, and the parties could return to the bargaining table at any time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“What we’re looking to do is make sure that we have real movement and real respect at the bargaining table, and we have not experienced that from our employer here at Solano County,” said Harrison.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/rsgirldaisy/?hl=en\">\u003cem>Daisy Nguyen\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"slug": "west-contra-costa-teachers-agree-to-end-strike-and-return-to-class-after-a-week",
"title": "West Contra Costa Teachers Agree to End Strike and Return to Class After a Week",
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"headTitle": "West Contra Costa Teachers Agree to End Strike and Return to Class After a Week | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/west-contra-costa-unified-school-district\">West Contra Costa County teachers\u003c/a> agreed to end their \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12066054/after-west-contra-costa-teachers-launch-strike-both-sides-will-return-to-the-table\">first-ever strike\u003c/a> early Wednesday, after reaching a tentative contract agreement with the school district overnight.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Educators will return to regular classroom instruction on Thursday, a week after they first walked off the job, according to the United Teachers of Richmond and the school district.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our fight for stability and respect was not easy and is not over. But make no mistake, our historic strike has broken a vicious cycle of neglect and disinvestment,” union president Francisco Ortiz said in a statement. “We are committed now, more than ever, to improving learning conditions for our students, because when they thrive, our communities thrive.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The two-year agreement includes 8% raises over that period for all members, and additional wage increases for special education teachers. The West Contra Costa Unified School District will offer a 100% employer-paid family health care benefit by June 2027 and commit to other provisions that improve classroom conditions and protect international teachers from the threat of changing immigration regulations, such as new high price tags for H-1B visas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The tentative agreement, which the district said is framed around a proposal from the school board, still needs to be ratified by the union and formally ratified by the board.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12066306\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12066306\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251205-WCCUSDSTRIKERALLY00410_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251205-WCCUSDSTRIKERALLY00410_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251205-WCCUSDSTRIKERALLY00410_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251205-WCCUSDSTRIKERALLY00410_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">West Contra Costa Unified School District teachers and families play with a parachute as children run under during a strike rally at Marina Bay Park in Richmond on December 5, 2025. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“This contract is a strong foundation for us to continue to build the learning environments our students deserve,” said Gabrielle Micheletti, union vice president and co-bargaining chair.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ortiz told KQED that the union was “encouraged and excited” that the board was aligning with their vision for district schools.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>UTR and the school district \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12065732/west-contra-costa-teachers-are-set-to-strike-across-the-bay-area-more-could-follow\">began negotiating for a contract\u003c/a> to span the current and next school year eight months ago. Over more than a dozen bargaining sessions, the parties failed to reach a consensus on wages and health care coverage, among other issues.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The union’s initial ask was a 10% raise over two years and full benefit coverage, while the district’s final offer came out to just a 3% salary increase during that time and some additional benefit coverage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>WCCUSD said it made that offer despite a budget shortfall. The union said it could, and must, offer more, prompting the work stoppage that began last week.[aside postID=news_12066401 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251205-WCCUSDSTRIKERALLY00616_TV-KQED.jpg']The strike disrupted instruction across WCCUSD’s 56 schools as many families kept their students home. On the first day of the strike, more than 1,300 of the district’s 28,000 students registered for an independent study curriculum they could complete for attendance credit as an alternative to coming in person.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During the first two days of the strike, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12066401/west-contra-costa-teachers-strike-continues-as-support-staff-return-to-work\">teachers were joined\u003c/a> by 1,400 district custodians, food service workers and bus drivers represented by Teamsters Local 856, who had also been in unfruitful contract negotiations with the district.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They reached a tentative agreement on a three-year contract over the weekend, allowing some school operations to resume on Monday, but classroom interruptions continued through the start of this week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Throughout the strike, Superintendent Cheryl Cotton said that schools would “provide safe and supportive classrooms and learning activities” and continue to provide meals for students. She noted, though, that it would not feel like normal days.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, Ortiz said on the picket lines, the union received strong support from families and elected leaders. State Superintendent Tony Thurmond urged the parties to return to the negotiating table Sunday, offering to convene bargaining teams the following day.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They see our students go disinvested in for far too long, and they know that change is necessary,” Ortiz said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12066311\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12066311\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251205-WCCUSDSTRIKERALLY01296_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251205-WCCUSDSTRIKERALLY01296_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251205-WCCUSDSTRIKERALLY01296_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251205-WCCUSDSTRIKERALLY01296_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Francisco Ortiz speaks at a rally during the West Contra Costa United School District rally at Marina Bay Park in Richmond on Dec. 5, 2025. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>He said the union will continue to push for smaller class sizes and improvements to special education programs in the future. According to Ortiz, the district’s special education director and superintendent were not present in bargaining sessions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We know that that’s a bigger fight ahead for special education, when we have leadership that is actually engaged in these processes,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since bargaining continued past 2 a.m., Wednesday, the day will be an optional classroom preparation day for teachers before classes resume on Thursday. Schools will remain open, as they have throughout the strike.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We are relieved that the strike is over and our students and teachers will be reunited,” the district said in a statement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/aaliahmad\">\u003cem>Ayah Ali-Ahmad\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "After one of the largest school districts in the Bay Area was gripped by its first-ever teachers' strike, regular classroom instruction will resume on Thursday. ",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/west-contra-costa-unified-school-district\">West Contra Costa County teachers\u003c/a> agreed to end their \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12066054/after-west-contra-costa-teachers-launch-strike-both-sides-will-return-to-the-table\">first-ever strike\u003c/a> early Wednesday, after reaching a tentative contract agreement with the school district overnight.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Educators will return to regular classroom instruction on Thursday, a week after they first walked off the job, according to the United Teachers of Richmond and the school district.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our fight for stability and respect was not easy and is not over. But make no mistake, our historic strike has broken a vicious cycle of neglect and disinvestment,” union president Francisco Ortiz said in a statement. “We are committed now, more than ever, to improving learning conditions for our students, because when they thrive, our communities thrive.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The two-year agreement includes 8% raises over that period for all members, and additional wage increases for special education teachers. The West Contra Costa Unified School District will offer a 100% employer-paid family health care benefit by June 2027 and commit to other provisions that improve classroom conditions and protect international teachers from the threat of changing immigration regulations, such as new high price tags for H-1B visas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The tentative agreement, which the district said is framed around a proposal from the school board, still needs to be ratified by the union and formally ratified by the board.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12066306\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12066306\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251205-WCCUSDSTRIKERALLY00410_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251205-WCCUSDSTRIKERALLY00410_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251205-WCCUSDSTRIKERALLY00410_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251205-WCCUSDSTRIKERALLY00410_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">West Contra Costa Unified School District teachers and families play with a parachute as children run under during a strike rally at Marina Bay Park in Richmond on December 5, 2025. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“This contract is a strong foundation for us to continue to build the learning environments our students deserve,” said Gabrielle Micheletti, union vice president and co-bargaining chair.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ortiz told KQED that the union was “encouraged and excited” that the board was aligning with their vision for district schools.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>UTR and the school district \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12065732/west-contra-costa-teachers-are-set-to-strike-across-the-bay-area-more-could-follow\">began negotiating for a contract\u003c/a> to span the current and next school year eight months ago. Over more than a dozen bargaining sessions, the parties failed to reach a consensus on wages and health care coverage, among other issues.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The union’s initial ask was a 10% raise over two years and full benefit coverage, while the district’s final offer came out to just a 3% salary increase during that time and some additional benefit coverage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>WCCUSD said it made that offer despite a budget shortfall. The union said it could, and must, offer more, prompting the work stoppage that began last week.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>The strike disrupted instruction across WCCUSD’s 56 schools as many families kept their students home. On the first day of the strike, more than 1,300 of the district’s 28,000 students registered for an independent study curriculum they could complete for attendance credit as an alternative to coming in person.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During the first two days of the strike, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12066401/west-contra-costa-teachers-strike-continues-as-support-staff-return-to-work\">teachers were joined\u003c/a> by 1,400 district custodians, food service workers and bus drivers represented by Teamsters Local 856, who had also been in unfruitful contract negotiations with the district.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They reached a tentative agreement on a three-year contract over the weekend, allowing some school operations to resume on Monday, but classroom interruptions continued through the start of this week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Throughout the strike, Superintendent Cheryl Cotton said that schools would “provide safe and supportive classrooms and learning activities” and continue to provide meals for students. She noted, though, that it would not feel like normal days.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, Ortiz said on the picket lines, the union received strong support from families and elected leaders. State Superintendent Tony Thurmond urged the parties to return to the negotiating table Sunday, offering to convene bargaining teams the following day.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They see our students go disinvested in for far too long, and they know that change is necessary,” Ortiz said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12066311\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12066311\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251205-WCCUSDSTRIKERALLY01296_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251205-WCCUSDSTRIKERALLY01296_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251205-WCCUSDSTRIKERALLY01296_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251205-WCCUSDSTRIKERALLY01296_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Francisco Ortiz speaks at a rally during the West Contra Costa United School District rally at Marina Bay Park in Richmond on Dec. 5, 2025. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>He said the union will continue to push for smaller class sizes and improvements to special education programs in the future. According to Ortiz, the district’s special education director and superintendent were not present in bargaining sessions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We know that that’s a bigger fight ahead for special education, when we have leadership that is actually engaged in these processes,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since bargaining continued past 2 a.m., Wednesday, the day will be an optional classroom preparation day for teachers before classes resume on Thursday. Schools will remain open, as they have throughout the strike.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We are relieved that the strike is over and our students and teachers will be reunited,” the district said in a statement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/aaliahmad\">\u003cem>Ayah Ali-Ahmad\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "sfusd-teachers-overwhelmingly-vote-to-authorize-the-first-strike-in-49-years",
"title": "SFUSD Teachers Overwhelmingly Pass Strike Authorization Vote",
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"content": "\u003cp>After months of unresolved contract negotiations, San Francisco educators overwhelmingly passed a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12065524/san-francisco-teachers-take-key-step-toward-strike\">strike authorization vote Wednesday\u003c/a>, the first of two needed to approve a work stoppage across the city’s public schools.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During a five-hour vote at Balboa High School on Wednesday, 99.3% of United Educators of San Francisco members who cast their ballots chose to give the union’s bargaining team permission to call a strike vote at any time as they continue to work with the San Francisco Unified School District and third-party mediators to reach a contract deal for this year and next.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If the union does call and pass a strike vote, the district’s more than 6,000 educators could launch their first teacher strike in nearly 50 years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When our members come out for this vote … it gives us direction where we should be headed next. And it should be a very clear sign that our members are on the same page,” UESF President Cassondra Curiel said, ahead of Wednesday’s vote. “As a union, we have to do what our members say, and that’s what’s happening. They’re saying continue to push, and so we have to move forward with this escalation.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Educators are currently working under a contract that expired in June.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>UESF has asked for a 9% raise for teachers and 14% raise for non-certificated staff over two years. They also asked for up to 100% health care benefit coverage and a new special education staffing model, among other demands.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12025666\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12025666 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/250204-WeCantWait-13-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/250204-WeCantWait-13-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/250204-WeCantWait-13-BL-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/250204-WeCantWait-13-BL-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/250204-WeCantWait-13-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/250204-WeCantWait-13-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/250204-WeCantWait-13-BL-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Cassondra Curiel, president of United Educators of San Francisco, speaks during a press conference at Buena Vista Horace Mann K-8 Community School in San Francisco’s Mission District on Feb. 4, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Our members feel very, very strongly … and are willing to move toward collective action if necessary,” Nathalie Hrizi, who is coordinating UESF’s bargaining, said of Wednesday’s results. “There is willingness to strike over these issues if we have to.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Union leaders say months of bargaining that began in March have been fruitless: In October, UESF and SFUSD declared an impasse and entered a mediation process after the union rejected a proposal from the district that offered educators a 2% wage hike if they agreed to concede on many of their other demands — including the increased health care benefit contributions and special education staffing model.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Union leaders said the pay increase would have meant discontinuing other previous contract stipulations, like a sabbatical program for veteran teachers and extra preparation periods for advanced placement teachers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Curiel said that the union moved to end mediation after getting the impression that the district didn’t plan to make any additional offers in the weeks after their mediation session. Now, they’ll move to the final bargaining step before a strike, an independent fact-finding process conducted by a third-party panel. After a hearing later this month, the group will issue non-binding recommendations for a compromise deal.[aside postID=news_12065732 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/250723-WEST-CO-CO-ICE-MD-04-KQED.jpg']SFUSD has said it remains committed to reaching an agreement with the union, but is currently under stringent fiscal oversight by the state and in the second year of a two-year budget stabilization plan requiring hundreds of millions in ongoing expense reductions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last year, the district made major personnel and service reductions to cut $114 million from its budget, and according to early recommendations \u003ca href=\"https://missionlocal.org/2025/12/sfusd-schools-budget-cuts/\">obtained by \u003cem>Mission Local\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, the district could present plans later this month to cut another $113 million next year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Spokesperson Laura Dudnick noted that in 2023, SFUSD awarded historic $9,000 raises to all UESF members.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Right now, the state of California holds the authority to override any decision by the San Francisco Board of Education if it believes that decision could compromise the district’s financial stability,” Dudnick said in a statement. “We are facing another round of major budget cuts for the 2026-27 school year, and difficult decisions are ahead. Balancing the budget is a core step toward exiting state oversight.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The tension echoes labor \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12065732/west-contra-costa-teachers-are-set-to-strike-across-the-bay-area-more-could-follow\">negotiations in districts across the Bay Area\u003c/a>, where educators say their wages have fallen behind the cost of living and school districts have passed rising health care costs along to them, cutting deeper into their earnings.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12065383\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12065383\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/240508-Berkeley-High-File-MD-02_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/240508-Berkeley-High-File-MD-02_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/240508-Berkeley-High-File-MD-02_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/240508-Berkeley-High-File-MD-02_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Berkeley High School in Berkeley on May 8, 2024. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12065732/west-contra-costa-teachers-are-set-to-strike-across-the-bay-area-more-could-follow\">West Contra Costa County Unified School District’s teachers\u003c/a> launched their first-ever labor strike Thursday, and Berkeley Unified School District’s union declared an impasse in negotiations with their district last month.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Curiel said come January, San Francisco teachers with more than one dependent could have to put $1,550 per pay cycle toward health insurance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wednesday’s result authorizes the union bargaining team to call for a strike vote at any time, though they can’t legally go on strike until the fact-finding panel issues its report in the coming weeks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After the district and union receive the panel’s recommendations, the district will be able to make a final contract offer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Right now, we hope district management is really looking at where they’re at in negotiations and preparing to bring us things that could be a potential agreement,” Hrizi said. “No one wants to strike, but we are willing to [in order] to win the necessary things we’re fighting for.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>After months of unresolved contract negotiations, San Francisco educators overwhelmingly passed a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12065524/san-francisco-teachers-take-key-step-toward-strike\">strike authorization vote Wednesday\u003c/a>, the first of two needed to approve a work stoppage across the city’s public schools.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During a five-hour vote at Balboa High School on Wednesday, 99.3% of United Educators of San Francisco members who cast their ballots chose to give the union’s bargaining team permission to call a strike vote at any time as they continue to work with the San Francisco Unified School District and third-party mediators to reach a contract deal for this year and next.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If the union does call and pass a strike vote, the district’s more than 6,000 educators could launch their first teacher strike in nearly 50 years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When our members come out for this vote … it gives us direction where we should be headed next. And it should be a very clear sign that our members are on the same page,” UESF President Cassondra Curiel said, ahead of Wednesday’s vote. “As a union, we have to do what our members say, and that’s what’s happening. They’re saying continue to push, and so we have to move forward with this escalation.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Educators are currently working under a contract that expired in June.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>UESF has asked for a 9% raise for teachers and 14% raise for non-certificated staff over two years. They also asked for up to 100% health care benefit coverage and a new special education staffing model, among other demands.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12025666\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12025666 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/250204-WeCantWait-13-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/250204-WeCantWait-13-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/250204-WeCantWait-13-BL-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/250204-WeCantWait-13-BL-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/250204-WeCantWait-13-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/250204-WeCantWait-13-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/250204-WeCantWait-13-BL-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Cassondra Curiel, president of United Educators of San Francisco, speaks during a press conference at Buena Vista Horace Mann K-8 Community School in San Francisco’s Mission District on Feb. 4, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Our members feel very, very strongly … and are willing to move toward collective action if necessary,” Nathalie Hrizi, who is coordinating UESF’s bargaining, said of Wednesday’s results. “There is willingness to strike over these issues if we have to.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Union leaders say months of bargaining that began in March have been fruitless: In October, UESF and SFUSD declared an impasse and entered a mediation process after the union rejected a proposal from the district that offered educators a 2% wage hike if they agreed to concede on many of their other demands — including the increased health care benefit contributions and special education staffing model.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Union leaders said the pay increase would have meant discontinuing other previous contract stipulations, like a sabbatical program for veteran teachers and extra preparation periods for advanced placement teachers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Curiel said that the union moved to end mediation after getting the impression that the district didn’t plan to make any additional offers in the weeks after their mediation session. Now, they’ll move to the final bargaining step before a strike, an independent fact-finding process conducted by a third-party panel. After a hearing later this month, the group will issue non-binding recommendations for a compromise deal.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>SFUSD has said it remains committed to reaching an agreement with the union, but is currently under stringent fiscal oversight by the state and in the second year of a two-year budget stabilization plan requiring hundreds of millions in ongoing expense reductions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last year, the district made major personnel and service reductions to cut $114 million from its budget, and according to early recommendations \u003ca href=\"https://missionlocal.org/2025/12/sfusd-schools-budget-cuts/\">obtained by \u003cem>Mission Local\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, the district could present plans later this month to cut another $113 million next year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Spokesperson Laura Dudnick noted that in 2023, SFUSD awarded historic $9,000 raises to all UESF members.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Right now, the state of California holds the authority to override any decision by the San Francisco Board of Education if it believes that decision could compromise the district’s financial stability,” Dudnick said in a statement. “We are facing another round of major budget cuts for the 2026-27 school year, and difficult decisions are ahead. Balancing the budget is a core step toward exiting state oversight.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The tension echoes labor \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12065732/west-contra-costa-teachers-are-set-to-strike-across-the-bay-area-more-could-follow\">negotiations in districts across the Bay Area\u003c/a>, where educators say their wages have fallen behind the cost of living and school districts have passed rising health care costs along to them, cutting deeper into their earnings.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12065383\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12065383\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/240508-Berkeley-High-File-MD-02_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/240508-Berkeley-High-File-MD-02_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/240508-Berkeley-High-File-MD-02_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/240508-Berkeley-High-File-MD-02_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Berkeley High School in Berkeley on May 8, 2024. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12065732/west-contra-costa-teachers-are-set-to-strike-across-the-bay-area-more-could-follow\">West Contra Costa County Unified School District’s teachers\u003c/a> launched their first-ever labor strike Thursday, and Berkeley Unified School District’s union declared an impasse in negotiations with their district last month.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Curiel said come January, San Francisco teachers with more than one dependent could have to put $1,550 per pay cycle toward health insurance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wednesday’s result authorizes the union bargaining team to call for a strike vote at any time, though they can’t legally go on strike until the fact-finding panel issues its report in the coming weeks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After the district and union receive the panel’s recommendations, the district will be able to make a final contract offer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Right now, we hope district management is really looking at where they’re at in negotiations and preparing to bring us things that could be a potential agreement,” Hrizi said. “No one wants to strike, but we are willing to [in order] to win the necessary things we’re fighting for.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "west-contra-costa-teachers-are-set-to-strike-across-the-bay-area-more-could-follow",
"title": "West Contra Costa Teachers Are Set to Strike. Across the Bay Area, More Could Follow",
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"headTitle": "West Contra Costa Teachers Are Set to Strike. Across the Bay Area, More Could Follow | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>Teachers in the West Contra Costa Unified School District \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12065486/west-contra-costa-teachers-are-near-a-pivotal-moment-in-their-potential-strike\">plan to strike beginning Thursday\u003c/a> as long-simmering labor disputes come to a head in major districts across the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Union leaders say their educators need higher wages and better benefit coverage — and they aren’t alone. In San Francisco, the union representing public school teachers is holding a strike authorization vote on Wednesday, and in Berkeley, the union is entering mediation with the district after declaring an impasse.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Across California, meanwhile, school districts have \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12027158/how-oakland-and-sf-ended-up-among-7-ca-school-districts-who-cant-pay-their-bills\">struggled to balance their budgets\u003c/a> as they face declining enrollment and shrinking state funding.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is an education justice issue,” said Francisco Ortiz, the president of United Teachers of Richmond, which represents 1,400 West Contra Costa teachers. “The district’s piecemeal solutions are not serving our students. We need to see action that stabilizes our district now, which means providing competitive wages and health care, smaller class sizes, and a commitment to our educators that supports their ability to stay.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Educators at the district’s 50 campuses began negotiating a new two-year contract with school officials eight months ago. After the union declared an impasse in August, two negotiations mediated by a third party failed to yield an agreement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As part of that process, a neutral fact-finding committee made its recommendations for a compromise between West Contra Costa Unified and the teachers’ union last week. The district’s offer, however, proposed a lower wage hike than the report recommended, prompting United Teachers of Richmond to call the indefinite strike, Ortiz said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12031022\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12031022\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/240312-RICHMOND-WALKOUT-MD-01-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/240312-RICHMOND-WALKOUT-MD-01-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/240312-RICHMOND-WALKOUT-MD-01-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/240312-RICHMOND-WALKOUT-MD-01-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/240312-RICHMOND-WALKOUT-MD-01-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/240312-RICHMOND-WALKOUT-MD-01-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/240312-RICHMOND-WALKOUT-MD-01-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Valerie Aquino (center) and other students from Richmond’s John F. Kennedy High School stage a walkout and march to the West Contra Costa Unified School District Offices to protest impending layoffs as part of cuts to the district’s budget in Richmond on March 12, 2025. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>He said the offer was “not what’s going to help keep our educators here.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our educators have been sounding the alarm for years about the staffing crisis and instability that our students face,” he told KQED. “Our students deserve educators who can feel safe and secure working here and can stay here. They deserve teachers whose work and commitment with our students is respected and reciprocated by the district. That’s the crux here.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Teachers in districts throughout the Bay Area have echoed his sentiment as they escalate their own threats to strike in the coming months without better contracts. United Educators of San Francisco members will take the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12065524/san-francisco-teachers-take-key-step-toward-strike\">first of two votes necessary to authorize a strike on Wednesday\u003c/a> afternoon after their first third-party mediation process failed. The Berkeley Federation of Teachers and Berkeley Unified School District declared an impasse on Nov. 20, moving them into mediation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This has been a long time coming,” said Danielle Mahones, the director of leadership development programs at the UC Berkeley Labor Center. “Educators and parents and students have been feeling that schools … across California have been underfunded, that classrooms are too crowded, that the teacher pay is not keeping up with the cost of living in many cities. For some time, educators have diligently tried to get these issues resolved at the district level, but they’re seeing that there’s common themes.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘They can’t do it anymore’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Across the districts, wages and health benefits have been the biggest sticking points for unions negotiating contracts for 2025 to 2027.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Compared with similarly educated workers in the state, teachers’ compensation has always been low, Mahones said, but it’s become less tenable in recent years — both because the cost of living has risen and because workers are growing more fatigued.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“A lot of them are sort of surviving paycheck to paycheck and yet still buying food for their own students who are in need, buying school supplies for their classrooms,” she told KQED. “I think it’s just reached a point where folks feel like they can’t do it anymore. And they’re really concerned seeing a lot of their colleagues leave the profession.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12031025\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12031025\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/240312-RICHMOND-WALKOUT-MD-08-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/240312-RICHMOND-WALKOUT-MD-08-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/240312-RICHMOND-WALKOUT-MD-08-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/240312-RICHMOND-WALKOUT-MD-08-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/240312-RICHMOND-WALKOUT-MD-08-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/240312-RICHMOND-WALKOUT-MD-08-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/240312-RICHMOND-WALKOUT-MD-08-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Julissa Blandon and other students from Richmond’s John F. Kennedy High School stage a walkout and rally in front of to the West Contra Costa Unified School District Offices to protest impending layoffs as part of cuts to the district’s budget in Richmond on March 12, 2025. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>United Teachers of Richmond asked the district for a 5% raise in each of the next two years when it began negotiations in February.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Currently, we’re at the bottom of both pay and health care contributions in the entire county of Contra Costa,” Ortiz said, adding that union members did not receive any pay increase last year. “That’s why we’ve lost over 1,500 educators in the last five years. We’ve lost more teachers than we represent in the last five years.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The fact-finding team’s recommendation on Friday was equivalent to a 6% raise over the next two-year contract period: a 2.5% hike retroactive to July, when their former contract expired, plus additional raises of 0.5% in 2026 and 3% in 2027.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The district’s offer, which led to the strike declaration, was half of that, according to Ortiz: a 2% increase retroactive to July and 1% more in January, with no raise in 2027. It did increase the district’s contribution to health care benefits over the next two years, according to Superintendent Cheryl Cotton.[aside postID=news_12065524 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/250204-WeCantWait-13-BL-1020x680.jpg']“We made this offer even though our district is already spending millions more each year than we receive in revenue,” Cotton wrote in an email to families on Monday. The district has had to slash \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12065486/west-contra-costa-teachers-are-near-a-pivotal-moment-in-their-potential-strike\">tens of millions of dollars from its budget\u003c/a> over the last two years, and more cuts will be needed to stave off an ongoing deficit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Ortiz argued that the district can afford the union’s ask.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have identified ways in which the district can afford our proposals and stabilize our school district. And their current offer will not do that,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The San Francisco Unified School District has offered teachers a 2% wage hike in exchange for cutting other contractual obligations, including a sabbatical program for veteran educators and additional prep periods for advanced placement teachers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Two years ago, the district gave teachers historic $9,000 raises. Now it’s facing a major budget crisis, spurring a commitment \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12044768/sf-school-district-unveils-balanced-budget-after-cutting-over-110-million-in-spending\">to cutting more than $150 million\u003c/a> in ongoing costs over two years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Berkeley Federation of Teachers, meanwhile, asked for consecutive 5% raises for two years and has gotten no wage increase offer from BUSD after 17 bargaining sessions, according to union President Matt Meyer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12065384\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12065384\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/240508-Berkeley-High-File-MD-03_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/240508-Berkeley-High-File-MD-03_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/240508-Berkeley-High-File-MD-03_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/240508-Berkeley-High-File-MD-03_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Berkeley High School in Berkeley on May 8, 2024. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>As wages fall behind the cost of living, Mahones said, more of educators’ paychecks are also going to health care coverage because districts are passing the cost of higher premiums along to teachers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>United Educators of San Francisco President Cassondra Curiel told KQED last week that without a new agreement, teachers with two children would have to put about $1500 of each paycheck toward health care come January.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meyer said Berkeley Unified covers about 55% of employees’ benefit costs, but he added that in the last five years, the percentage of their paychecks that has gone to health coverage has increased significantly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our disposable income has gone down quite a bit just because of what the employee has to pay for medical benefits,” he told KQED. Berkeley’s union has asked the district to cover 100% of health care costs, but it has not gotten an offer from the district.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a statement on Monday, Berkeley’s Superintendent Enikia Ford Morthel said the district was “committed to good-faith discussions that honor their contributions while also ensuring the long-term financial health of our district.” It also faces a budget deficit of \u003ca href=\"https://www.berkeleyside.org/2025/06/24/berkeley-unified-approves-budget-cuts-family-engagement\">$7.6 million\u003c/a> for this school year.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Unions build statewide unity\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>As more local unions feel emboldened to push toward strikes, Mahones said increased coordination and common ground are likely playing a large part. She said they’ve found that the problems they’re facing aren’t isolated and are in part a result of state funding shortfalls.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It is one thing if one single district in our state goes out on strike. It is something else when we were just seeing district after district reach impasse,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12049415\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12049415\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/250723-WEST-CO-CO-ICE-MD-03-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/250723-WEST-CO-CO-ICE-MD-03-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/250723-WEST-CO-CO-ICE-MD-03-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/250723-WEST-CO-CO-ICE-MD-03-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The West Contra Costa School District Offices in Richmond on July 23, 2025. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Currently, California ranks \u003ca href=\"https://www.ppic.org/publication/financing-californias-public-schools/\">16th in the country in terms of per-pupil education funding\u003c/a>, but that drops to 31st when accounting for the cost of living.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think it’s a shame that we’re all stuck negotiating with our local districts for what the state gives,” Meyer said. “But we do know that our district can spend its money more wisely and can prioritize and make an investment in educators.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the spring, 32 unions, including West Contra Costa, San Francisco and Berkeley, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12025440/schools-face-cuts-california-teachers-unions-band-together-demands\">joined a coordinated campaign\u003c/a> by the California Teachers Association, dubbed “We Can’t Wait,” with the goals of increasing districts’ spending on school sites and ultimately increasing state funding.[aside postID=news_12065486 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/240312-RICHMOND-WALKOUT-MD-02_qed.jpg']Mahones said that one of their hopes is that coordinated union pressure could encourage district leaders to push legislators to allocate more money for public education in the state’s budget.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think that educators are also looking to the state of California, as the fifth-biggest economy in the world, to say, ‘We need to be doing better for our students,’” Mahones told KQED. “‘What would it look like for California to actually make a commitment to all students in our state being able to receive a high-quality education with fair teacher-to-student ratios … counselors and school nurses and access to mental health?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California Teachers Association President David Goldberg said that California’s education system has weathered decades of disinvestment since Proposition 13 passed, restricting the amount of state funding schools get from property taxes. Now, they rely much more heavily on income tax, resulting in major swings in school districts’ budgets based on economic fluctuations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But he cautioned against writing off the current union tensions as just a result of state shortages. Unions across the Bay Area say their districts spend too much money on large administrative arms, contracting outside special education services and teachers, and building up high reserve funds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Because state funding is so scarce, they have to be that much better. There’s no room for error,” he said. “Districts have to get it right.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/shossaini\">\u003cem>Sara Hossaini\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Teachers in the East Bay school district plan to walk off the job beginning Thursday. Their concerns over wages and benefits are echoed in districts throughout California.",
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"title": "West Contra Costa Teachers Are Set to Strike. Across the Bay Area, More Could Follow | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Teachers in the West Contra Costa Unified School District \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12065486/west-contra-costa-teachers-are-near-a-pivotal-moment-in-their-potential-strike\">plan to strike beginning Thursday\u003c/a> as long-simmering labor disputes come to a head in major districts across the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Union leaders say their educators need higher wages and better benefit coverage — and they aren’t alone. In San Francisco, the union representing public school teachers is holding a strike authorization vote on Wednesday, and in Berkeley, the union is entering mediation with the district after declaring an impasse.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Across California, meanwhile, school districts have \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12027158/how-oakland-and-sf-ended-up-among-7-ca-school-districts-who-cant-pay-their-bills\">struggled to balance their budgets\u003c/a> as they face declining enrollment and shrinking state funding.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is an education justice issue,” said Francisco Ortiz, the president of United Teachers of Richmond, which represents 1,400 West Contra Costa teachers. “The district’s piecemeal solutions are not serving our students. We need to see action that stabilizes our district now, which means providing competitive wages and health care, smaller class sizes, and a commitment to our educators that supports their ability to stay.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Educators at the district’s 50 campuses began negotiating a new two-year contract with school officials eight months ago. After the union declared an impasse in August, two negotiations mediated by a third party failed to yield an agreement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As part of that process, a neutral fact-finding committee made its recommendations for a compromise between West Contra Costa Unified and the teachers’ union last week. The district’s offer, however, proposed a lower wage hike than the report recommended, prompting United Teachers of Richmond to call the indefinite strike, Ortiz said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12031022\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12031022\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/240312-RICHMOND-WALKOUT-MD-01-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/240312-RICHMOND-WALKOUT-MD-01-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/240312-RICHMOND-WALKOUT-MD-01-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/240312-RICHMOND-WALKOUT-MD-01-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/240312-RICHMOND-WALKOUT-MD-01-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/240312-RICHMOND-WALKOUT-MD-01-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/240312-RICHMOND-WALKOUT-MD-01-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Valerie Aquino (center) and other students from Richmond’s John F. Kennedy High School stage a walkout and march to the West Contra Costa Unified School District Offices to protest impending layoffs as part of cuts to the district’s budget in Richmond on March 12, 2025. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>He said the offer was “not what’s going to help keep our educators here.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our educators have been sounding the alarm for years about the staffing crisis and instability that our students face,” he told KQED. “Our students deserve educators who can feel safe and secure working here and can stay here. They deserve teachers whose work and commitment with our students is respected and reciprocated by the district. That’s the crux here.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Teachers in districts throughout the Bay Area have echoed his sentiment as they escalate their own threats to strike in the coming months without better contracts. United Educators of San Francisco members will take the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12065524/san-francisco-teachers-take-key-step-toward-strike\">first of two votes necessary to authorize a strike on Wednesday\u003c/a> afternoon after their first third-party mediation process failed. The Berkeley Federation of Teachers and Berkeley Unified School District declared an impasse on Nov. 20, moving them into mediation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This has been a long time coming,” said Danielle Mahones, the director of leadership development programs at the UC Berkeley Labor Center. “Educators and parents and students have been feeling that schools … across California have been underfunded, that classrooms are too crowded, that the teacher pay is not keeping up with the cost of living in many cities. For some time, educators have diligently tried to get these issues resolved at the district level, but they’re seeing that there’s common themes.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘They can’t do it anymore’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Across the districts, wages and health benefits have been the biggest sticking points for unions negotiating contracts for 2025 to 2027.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Compared with similarly educated workers in the state, teachers’ compensation has always been low, Mahones said, but it’s become less tenable in recent years — both because the cost of living has risen and because workers are growing more fatigued.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“A lot of them are sort of surviving paycheck to paycheck and yet still buying food for their own students who are in need, buying school supplies for their classrooms,” she told KQED. “I think it’s just reached a point where folks feel like they can’t do it anymore. And they’re really concerned seeing a lot of their colleagues leave the profession.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12031025\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12031025\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/240312-RICHMOND-WALKOUT-MD-08-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/240312-RICHMOND-WALKOUT-MD-08-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/240312-RICHMOND-WALKOUT-MD-08-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/240312-RICHMOND-WALKOUT-MD-08-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/240312-RICHMOND-WALKOUT-MD-08-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/240312-RICHMOND-WALKOUT-MD-08-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/240312-RICHMOND-WALKOUT-MD-08-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Julissa Blandon and other students from Richmond’s John F. Kennedy High School stage a walkout and rally in front of to the West Contra Costa Unified School District Offices to protest impending layoffs as part of cuts to the district’s budget in Richmond on March 12, 2025. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>United Teachers of Richmond asked the district for a 5% raise in each of the next two years when it began negotiations in February.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Currently, we’re at the bottom of both pay and health care contributions in the entire county of Contra Costa,” Ortiz said, adding that union members did not receive any pay increase last year. “That’s why we’ve lost over 1,500 educators in the last five years. We’ve lost more teachers than we represent in the last five years.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The fact-finding team’s recommendation on Friday was equivalent to a 6% raise over the next two-year contract period: a 2.5% hike retroactive to July, when their former contract expired, plus additional raises of 0.5% in 2026 and 3% in 2027.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The district’s offer, which led to the strike declaration, was half of that, according to Ortiz: a 2% increase retroactive to July and 1% more in January, with no raise in 2027. It did increase the district’s contribution to health care benefits over the next two years, according to Superintendent Cheryl Cotton.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“We made this offer even though our district is already spending millions more each year than we receive in revenue,” Cotton wrote in an email to families on Monday. The district has had to slash \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12065486/west-contra-costa-teachers-are-near-a-pivotal-moment-in-their-potential-strike\">tens of millions of dollars from its budget\u003c/a> over the last two years, and more cuts will be needed to stave off an ongoing deficit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Ortiz argued that the district can afford the union’s ask.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have identified ways in which the district can afford our proposals and stabilize our school district. And their current offer will not do that,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The San Francisco Unified School District has offered teachers a 2% wage hike in exchange for cutting other contractual obligations, including a sabbatical program for veteran educators and additional prep periods for advanced placement teachers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Two years ago, the district gave teachers historic $9,000 raises. Now it’s facing a major budget crisis, spurring a commitment \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12044768/sf-school-district-unveils-balanced-budget-after-cutting-over-110-million-in-spending\">to cutting more than $150 million\u003c/a> in ongoing costs over two years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Berkeley Federation of Teachers, meanwhile, asked for consecutive 5% raises for two years and has gotten no wage increase offer from BUSD after 17 bargaining sessions, according to union President Matt Meyer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12065384\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12065384\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/240508-Berkeley-High-File-MD-03_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/240508-Berkeley-High-File-MD-03_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/240508-Berkeley-High-File-MD-03_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/240508-Berkeley-High-File-MD-03_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Berkeley High School in Berkeley on May 8, 2024. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>As wages fall behind the cost of living, Mahones said, more of educators’ paychecks are also going to health care coverage because districts are passing the cost of higher premiums along to teachers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>United Educators of San Francisco President Cassondra Curiel told KQED last week that without a new agreement, teachers with two children would have to put about $1500 of each paycheck toward health care come January.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meyer said Berkeley Unified covers about 55% of employees’ benefit costs, but he added that in the last five years, the percentage of their paychecks that has gone to health coverage has increased significantly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our disposable income has gone down quite a bit just because of what the employee has to pay for medical benefits,” he told KQED. Berkeley’s union has asked the district to cover 100% of health care costs, but it has not gotten an offer from the district.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a statement on Monday, Berkeley’s Superintendent Enikia Ford Morthel said the district was “committed to good-faith discussions that honor their contributions while also ensuring the long-term financial health of our district.” It also faces a budget deficit of \u003ca href=\"https://www.berkeleyside.org/2025/06/24/berkeley-unified-approves-budget-cuts-family-engagement\">$7.6 million\u003c/a> for this school year.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Unions build statewide unity\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>As more local unions feel emboldened to push toward strikes, Mahones said increased coordination and common ground are likely playing a large part. She said they’ve found that the problems they’re facing aren’t isolated and are in part a result of state funding shortfalls.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It is one thing if one single district in our state goes out on strike. It is something else when we were just seeing district after district reach impasse,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12049415\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12049415\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/250723-WEST-CO-CO-ICE-MD-03-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/250723-WEST-CO-CO-ICE-MD-03-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/250723-WEST-CO-CO-ICE-MD-03-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/250723-WEST-CO-CO-ICE-MD-03-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The West Contra Costa School District Offices in Richmond on July 23, 2025. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Currently, California ranks \u003ca href=\"https://www.ppic.org/publication/financing-californias-public-schools/\">16th in the country in terms of per-pupil education funding\u003c/a>, but that drops to 31st when accounting for the cost of living.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think it’s a shame that we’re all stuck negotiating with our local districts for what the state gives,” Meyer said. “But we do know that our district can spend its money more wisely and can prioritize and make an investment in educators.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the spring, 32 unions, including West Contra Costa, San Francisco and Berkeley, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12025440/schools-face-cuts-california-teachers-unions-band-together-demands\">joined a coordinated campaign\u003c/a> by the California Teachers Association, dubbed “We Can’t Wait,” with the goals of increasing districts’ spending on school sites and ultimately increasing state funding.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Mahones said that one of their hopes is that coordinated union pressure could encourage district leaders to push legislators to allocate more money for public education in the state’s budget.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think that educators are also looking to the state of California, as the fifth-biggest economy in the world, to say, ‘We need to be doing better for our students,’” Mahones told KQED. “‘What would it look like for California to actually make a commitment to all students in our state being able to receive a high-quality education with fair teacher-to-student ratios … counselors and school nurses and access to mental health?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California Teachers Association President David Goldberg said that California’s education system has weathered decades of disinvestment since Proposition 13 passed, restricting the amount of state funding schools get from property taxes. Now, they rely much more heavily on income tax, resulting in major swings in school districts’ budgets based on economic fluctuations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But he cautioned against writing off the current union tensions as just a result of state shortages. Unions across the Bay Area say their districts spend too much money on large administrative arms, contracting outside special education services and teachers, and building up high reserve funds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Because state funding is so scarce, they have to be that much better. There’s no room for error,” he said. “Districts have to get it right.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/shossaini\">\u003cem>Sara Hossaini\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cp>Tens of thousands of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/university-of-california\">University of California\u003c/a> workers began a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12064154/uc-workers-plan-two-day-strike-as-wage-talks-stall-and-staffing-shortages-deepen\">two-day strike\u003c/a> on Monday as yearslong negotiations with the university system over wages and benefits remain stalled.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Local 3299 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), which represents more than 40,000 custodians, food service workers, patient care assistants and hospital technicians, said wage increases haven’t kept up with the cost of living as employees’ health care costs have skyrocketed, making it nearly impossible to make ends meet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s an affordability crisis that is crushing UC’s most vulnerable workers, workers that UC once called heroes during the pandemic,” said Carmen Lee, a UCSF transportation worker. “I feel completely disrespected.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>UCSF Health said in a statement that it did not expect significant disruptions to essential operations thanks to contingency plans, although radiology and lab services could still see delays, along with transportation and custodial services across the system.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Negotiations between AFSCME and the UC, which began in January 2024, have been deadlocked since April, when the university presented a “best and final” offer that was far from the union’s demands.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12064421\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12064421\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251117-UCStrike-11-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251117-UCStrike-11-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251117-UCStrike-11-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251117-UCStrike-11-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Carmen Lee (left), a shuttle operator, and Betty Yee, California State Controller, walk the picket line alongside patient care and service workers represented by AFSCME Local 3299 at the UCSF Medical Center Mission Bay campus on Nov. 17, 2025, striking for living wages, affordable health care, housing benefits and safe staffing. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The five-year contract proposal includes a 5% wage increase in 2025; 4% in 2026; and 3% in 2027, 2028 and 2029. AFSCME has asked for increases of 8.5% this year and 7.5% in each of the next two years, citing post-pandemic inflation, rising cost of living and increasing health care premiums.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I used to bring home six bags of groceries to feed my family. … I had to give that up,” Lee said. “My health care went up $200. With the low wage that they’ve imposed on us so far, I’m not going to be able to afford that health care. I should be able to live and thrive in the city that I grew up in and raised my two sons in.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Todd Stenhouse, AFSCME’s statewide spokesperson, said union members are making at least 7% less than they did seven years ago when accounting for the rising cost of living. That’s forcing people to move farther from their workplaces, including as far as El Dorado County, north of Sacramento, or crowd into homes and apartments that aren’t large enough for their families.[aside postID=news_12064154 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2022/12/RS61791_GettyImages-1244836327-qut-1020x680.jpg']“In the last three years, a third of [AFSCME members] have voluntarily left their jobs. Why? Because they can’t afford to stay,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In April, the university increased its best and final offer to make up for “potentially catastrophic state and federal funding cuts,” UC Associate Vice President for Systemwide Labor and Employee Relations Missy Matella said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The UC said its offer was $113 million higher than its initial offer in February 2024, and meets the union’s demand to raise minimum wage to $25 an hour. AFSCME had asked that the wage hike be retroactive to 2023. It was implemented in July.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The university also implemented terms from its offer to add monthly health insurance premium credits up to $125 to reduce costs for Kaiser and UC Blue and Gold HMO enrollees. Under its offer, some employees could have access to $0 premiums.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, Joanna Marie Fernandez, who’s been an ophthalmic technician at UCSF for 11 years, said the deal doesn’t keep up with rising insurance and housing costs. At the same time, she said, she and her colleagues have had to take on more work because they are understaffed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have double-booked, triple-booked patients in our clinic,” she told KQED. “I came out here [to UC] because of these incredible doctors, this incredible institution, and the thing is, we’re not even able to take care of our own health.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12064418\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12064418\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251117-UCStrike-14-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251117-UCStrike-14-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251117-UCStrike-14-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251117-UCStrike-14-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Patient care and service workers represented by AFSCME Local 3299 picket at the UCSF Medical Center Mission Bay campus on Nov. 17, 2025, striking for living wages, affordable health care, housing benefits and safe staffing. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>This month, two other bargaining groups have come to agreements with the UC.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“These outcomes show that UC can and has quickly closed deals when both parties actively participate in solutions-oriented bargaining,” the university said in a statement. “Despite UC’s continued outreach, AFSCME has not presented any substantive counterproposals since April 2025. Absent AFSCME’s engagement, the University cannot engage in meaningful negotiations for this critical workforce.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Nov. 8, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12034098/nearly-60000-uc-workers-hit-picket-lines-in-3rd-statewide-strike-in-recent-months\">UPTE-CWA\u003c/a>, which represents 21,000 research and technical professionals across the UC, announced a tentative deal with the university, prompting them to pull out of Monday’s strike.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12064415\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12064415\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251117-UCStrike-02-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251117-UCStrike-02-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251117-UCStrike-02-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251117-UCStrike-02-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fredrieka Michael (center), a shuttle operator, strikes alongside patient care and service workers represented by AFSCME Local 3299 at the UCSF Medical Center Mission Bay campus on Nov. 17, 2025, for living wages, affordable health care, housing benefits and safe staffing. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>And over the weekend, California Nurses Association/National Nurses United, which had planned a sympathy strike with AFSCME, also came to a tentative agreement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>UC nurses will vote on the tentative agreement this week, and thousands said they still planned to join picket lines off duty.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Stenhouse said it’s telling that AFSCME workers, who are some of the UC’s lowest-paid, are still negotiating.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It says a lot that as we’re here today after a week where we saw two contracts settle, the most economically vulnerable workers are the last ones standing,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/eromero\">\u003cem>Ezra David Romero\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Tens of thousands of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/university-of-california\">University of California\u003c/a> workers began a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12064154/uc-workers-plan-two-day-strike-as-wage-talks-stall-and-staffing-shortages-deepen\">two-day strike\u003c/a> on Monday as yearslong negotiations with the university system over wages and benefits remain stalled.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Local 3299 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), which represents more than 40,000 custodians, food service workers, patient care assistants and hospital technicians, said wage increases haven’t kept up with the cost of living as employees’ health care costs have skyrocketed, making it nearly impossible to make ends meet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s an affordability crisis that is crushing UC’s most vulnerable workers, workers that UC once called heroes during the pandemic,” said Carmen Lee, a UCSF transportation worker. “I feel completely disrespected.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>UCSF Health said in a statement that it did not expect significant disruptions to essential operations thanks to contingency plans, although radiology and lab services could still see delays, along with transportation and custodial services across the system.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Negotiations between AFSCME and the UC, which began in January 2024, have been deadlocked since April, when the university presented a “best and final” offer that was far from the union’s demands.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12064421\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12064421\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251117-UCStrike-11-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251117-UCStrike-11-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251117-UCStrike-11-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251117-UCStrike-11-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Carmen Lee (left), a shuttle operator, and Betty Yee, California State Controller, walk the picket line alongside patient care and service workers represented by AFSCME Local 3299 at the UCSF Medical Center Mission Bay campus on Nov. 17, 2025, striking for living wages, affordable health care, housing benefits and safe staffing. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The five-year contract proposal includes a 5% wage increase in 2025; 4% in 2026; and 3% in 2027, 2028 and 2029. AFSCME has asked for increases of 8.5% this year and 7.5% in each of the next two years, citing post-pandemic inflation, rising cost of living and increasing health care premiums.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I used to bring home six bags of groceries to feed my family. … I had to give that up,” Lee said. “My health care went up $200. With the low wage that they’ve imposed on us so far, I’m not going to be able to afford that health care. I should be able to live and thrive in the city that I grew up in and raised my two sons in.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Todd Stenhouse, AFSCME’s statewide spokesperson, said union members are making at least 7% less than they did seven years ago when accounting for the rising cost of living. That’s forcing people to move farther from their workplaces, including as far as El Dorado County, north of Sacramento, or crowd into homes and apartments that aren’t large enough for their families.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“In the last three years, a third of [AFSCME members] have voluntarily left their jobs. Why? Because they can’t afford to stay,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In April, the university increased its best and final offer to make up for “potentially catastrophic state and federal funding cuts,” UC Associate Vice President for Systemwide Labor and Employee Relations Missy Matella said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The UC said its offer was $113 million higher than its initial offer in February 2024, and meets the union’s demand to raise minimum wage to $25 an hour. AFSCME had asked that the wage hike be retroactive to 2023. It was implemented in July.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The university also implemented terms from its offer to add monthly health insurance premium credits up to $125 to reduce costs for Kaiser and UC Blue and Gold HMO enrollees. Under its offer, some employees could have access to $0 premiums.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, Joanna Marie Fernandez, who’s been an ophthalmic technician at UCSF for 11 years, said the deal doesn’t keep up with rising insurance and housing costs. At the same time, she said, she and her colleagues have had to take on more work because they are understaffed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have double-booked, triple-booked patients in our clinic,” she told KQED. “I came out here [to UC] because of these incredible doctors, this incredible institution, and the thing is, we’re not even able to take care of our own health.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12064418\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12064418\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251117-UCStrike-14-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251117-UCStrike-14-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251117-UCStrike-14-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251117-UCStrike-14-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Patient care and service workers represented by AFSCME Local 3299 picket at the UCSF Medical Center Mission Bay campus on Nov. 17, 2025, striking for living wages, affordable health care, housing benefits and safe staffing. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>This month, two other bargaining groups have come to agreements with the UC.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“These outcomes show that UC can and has quickly closed deals when both parties actively participate in solutions-oriented bargaining,” the university said in a statement. “Despite UC’s continued outreach, AFSCME has not presented any substantive counterproposals since April 2025. Absent AFSCME’s engagement, the University cannot engage in meaningful negotiations for this critical workforce.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Nov. 8, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12034098/nearly-60000-uc-workers-hit-picket-lines-in-3rd-statewide-strike-in-recent-months\">UPTE-CWA\u003c/a>, which represents 21,000 research and technical professionals across the UC, announced a tentative deal with the university, prompting them to pull out of Monday’s strike.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12064415\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12064415\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251117-UCStrike-02-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251117-UCStrike-02-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251117-UCStrike-02-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251117-UCStrike-02-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fredrieka Michael (center), a shuttle operator, strikes alongside patient care and service workers represented by AFSCME Local 3299 at the UCSF Medical Center Mission Bay campus on Nov. 17, 2025, for living wages, affordable health care, housing benefits and safe staffing. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>And over the weekend, California Nurses Association/National Nurses United, which had planned a sympathy strike with AFSCME, also came to a tentative agreement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>UC nurses will vote on the tentative agreement this week, and thousands said they still planned to join picket lines off duty.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Stenhouse said it’s telling that AFSCME workers, who are some of the UC’s lowest-paid, are still negotiating.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It says a lot that as we’re here today after a week where we saw two contracts settle, the most economically vulnerable workers are the last ones standing,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/eromero\">\u003cem>Ezra David Romero\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "kaiser-strike-hits-several-bay-area-locations-as-thousands-walk-off-the-job",
"title": "Kaiser Strike Hits Several Bay Area Locations as Thousands Walk Off the Job",
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"headTitle": "Kaiser Strike Hits Several Bay Area Locations as Thousands Walk Off the Job | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/kaiser-permanente\">Kaiser Permanente\u003c/a> employees picketed outside several Bay Area locations on Tuesday, joining tens of thousands across multiple states in kicking off a planned \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12059551/california-kaiser-health-care-workers-reaching-breaking-point-set-to-strike-next-week\">five-day strike\u003c/a> at the nonprofit health care organization.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Up to 46,000 workers represented by an alliance of unions plan to join picket lines throughout the week, demanding higher wages and increased staffing levels. The work stoppage, which is expected to end Sunday morning, could disrupt operations at hospitals, clinics and medical offices in California, Hawaii and Oregon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The workers say soaring inflation has outpaced their wages, hurting retention rates and patient care.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re just wanting better patient care, better patient access. Also, we’re asking for [them to] pay us fairly,” said Lore Vanden Heuvel, a physical therapist based in Antioch.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kaiser, which said it has already offered a “generous” wage hike, has been negotiating a new national contract since May with the Alliance of Healthcare Unions, a network of 23 unions that represent nearly 61,000 Kaiser employees. Some affiliated unions, including in the Bay Area, have been bargaining with the employer for longer, though not all of the unions involved in the ongoing contract negotiations are striking.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12059851\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12059851\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251014-KAISER-STRIKE-START-MD-07-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251014-KAISER-STRIKE-START-MD-07-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251014-KAISER-STRIKE-START-MD-07-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251014-KAISER-STRIKE-START-MD-07-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lore Vandenheuvel and other workers strike outside of the Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2025. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“The strike is designed to disrupt the lives of our patients — the very people we are all here to serve,” Kaiser \u003ca href=\"https://about.kaiserpermanente.org/who-we-are/labor-relations/alliance-national-bargaining/media-statements/our-statement-on-the-alliance-of-health-care-unions-strike\">said in a statement on Monday\u003c/a>, adding that the Oakland-based organization is prepared to maintain services for its patients, including about 8 million in California, by onboarding thousands of temporary nurses, clinicians and staff and reassigning others who have volunteered to work at strike locations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kaiser hospitals and most medical offices will remain open, but some appointments are being shifted to virtual settings. Certain elective surgeries and procedures could be rescheduled.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“For months, we’ve been preparing contingency plans to ensure our members will continue to receive safe, high-quality care,” Kaiser said. “We remain committed to an agreement that balances fair pay with affordable care.”[aside postID=news_12059551 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/240422-NursesAI-29-BL-1020x680.jpg']Compensation has been a major sticking point in the negotiations between the Alliance of Healthcare Unions and Kaiser.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The alliance in May proposed a 38% wage increase over four years, though it has since lowered its ask to 25%. Kaiser’s most recent offer includes a 21.5% raise over four years, which it said builds on an already competitive pay scale. The proposal would improve health plans and retiree benefits for employees, according to Lionel Sims, the vice president of human resources for Kaiser Permanente in Northern California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But union leaders say Kaiser’s offer does not sufficiently compensate for the much smaller raises workers agreed to during the COVID-19 pandemic, when Kaiser said it was struggling financially.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the same time, Kaiser negotiated higher raises with other unions, according to Brian Mason, the representation director for one of the striking unions, the United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>UNAC/UHCP, which represents about 31,000 registered nurses, pharmacists, physician assistants and other health care professionals largely based in California, said its members need larger pay bumps to catch up.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12059848\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12059848\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251014-KAISER-STRIKE-START-MD-04-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251014-KAISER-STRIKE-START-MD-04-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251014-KAISER-STRIKE-START-MD-04-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251014-KAISER-STRIKE-START-MD-04-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Workers strike outside of the Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2025. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“They left us behind,” Mason said. “Now it’s our time. These are health care professionals who come to work every day who are committed to their patients and they’re out fighting for what they deserve.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The alliance is also concerned that Kaiser’s proposal would actually cut some health benefits and pensions for some groups of workers, including physicians assistants, nurse anesthetists and midwives.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Without a significant increase in compensation, the unions said, Kaiser medical centers will continue to be understaffed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re lacking staffing left and right in all different disciplines and inpatient and outpatient everywhere,” Vanden Heuvel told KQED.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jeff Cathcart, a certified registered nurse anesthetist who has been with Kaiser for 20 years, said that anesthetists have been bargaining for a contract for most of the two years since they unionized. In that time, they’ve lost more than 100 of their 400 CRNAs, he added.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They’re leaving for better working conditions, an average increase in pay of about 25%,” Cathcart said. “When we have that problem with retention and recruitment, that leads to access to care issues for our patients. And that’s really what we’re out here fighting for.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12059850\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12059850\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251014-KAISER-STRIKE-START-MD-06-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251014-KAISER-STRIKE-START-MD-06-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251014-KAISER-STRIKE-START-MD-06-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251014-KAISER-STRIKE-START-MD-06-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Arezou Mansourian leads workers in chanting as they strike outside of the Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2025. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The short staffing is leading to burnout and hurting patient care by delaying appointment wait times, said Arezou Mansourian, who has worked as a physician assistant in orthopedics at Kaiser in Walnut Creek, Dublin and Antioch for 16 years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If you break your wrist, you’re going to have to wait one to two weeks to see us,” she told KQED. “Things like dermatology have six-month waits … you try to go in and even get your eyes checked, it’s three months; a colonoscopy, three to six months in most areas.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If you’re a post-op patient and need to be seen weekly, and your therapist has to tell you, ‘Sorry, I’m booking out for four weeks,’ that’s not really the best of care,” Vanden Heuvel added.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kaiser has maintained that it meets or exceeds required state staffing levels.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sims, the VP of human resources, said the unions’ focus on negotiating higher pay is disingenuous.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12059845\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12059845\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251014-KAISER-STRIKE-START-MD-01-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251014-KAISER-STRIKE-START-MD-01-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251014-KAISER-STRIKE-START-MD-01-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251014-KAISER-STRIKE-START-MD-01-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Workers strike outside of the Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2025. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“They say their goal is to protect patients by ensuring better care and staffing, but the real issue is wages,” he told KQED last week in a statement. “Their claims about Kaiser Permanente’s quality and staffing don’t reflect the facts.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Instead, Kaiser argues that offering a raise any higher than the 21.5% in its current proposal would force it to increase rates and potentially push people to “make the difficult choice to go without coverage.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The union alliance said Kaiser maintains significant financial reserves, mostly accumulated during the pandemic, and posted higher operating revenue and income in the first half of 2025 than the same period last year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mason also pointed to the employer’s recent expansion into new states, \u003ca href=\"https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/kaiser-permanente-launches-in-nevada-in-2026-302552906.html\">partnering with Renown Health\u003c/a> in Nevada and purchasing medical groups on the East Coast.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s kind of hard to feel sorry for Kaiser when they say they have to raise rates [while] they’re out buying new medical groups,” he said. “They’re sitting on a lot of money and that’s all profit that is made off the backs of the health care professionals who are currently on strike right now … that is a result of the work that they do.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/kaiser-permanente\">Kaiser Permanente\u003c/a> employees picketed outside several Bay Area locations on Tuesday, joining tens of thousands across multiple states in kicking off a planned \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12059551/california-kaiser-health-care-workers-reaching-breaking-point-set-to-strike-next-week\">five-day strike\u003c/a> at the nonprofit health care organization.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Up to 46,000 workers represented by an alliance of unions plan to join picket lines throughout the week, demanding higher wages and increased staffing levels. The work stoppage, which is expected to end Sunday morning, could disrupt operations at hospitals, clinics and medical offices in California, Hawaii and Oregon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The workers say soaring inflation has outpaced their wages, hurting retention rates and patient care.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re just wanting better patient care, better patient access. Also, we’re asking for [them to] pay us fairly,” said Lore Vanden Heuvel, a physical therapist based in Antioch.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kaiser, which said it has already offered a “generous” wage hike, has been negotiating a new national contract since May with the Alliance of Healthcare Unions, a network of 23 unions that represent nearly 61,000 Kaiser employees. Some affiliated unions, including in the Bay Area, have been bargaining with the employer for longer, though not all of the unions involved in the ongoing contract negotiations are striking.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12059851\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12059851\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251014-KAISER-STRIKE-START-MD-07-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251014-KAISER-STRIKE-START-MD-07-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251014-KAISER-STRIKE-START-MD-07-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251014-KAISER-STRIKE-START-MD-07-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lore Vandenheuvel and other workers strike outside of the Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2025. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“The strike is designed to disrupt the lives of our patients — the very people we are all here to serve,” Kaiser \u003ca href=\"https://about.kaiserpermanente.org/who-we-are/labor-relations/alliance-national-bargaining/media-statements/our-statement-on-the-alliance-of-health-care-unions-strike\">said in a statement on Monday\u003c/a>, adding that the Oakland-based organization is prepared to maintain services for its patients, including about 8 million in California, by onboarding thousands of temporary nurses, clinicians and staff and reassigning others who have volunteered to work at strike locations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kaiser hospitals and most medical offices will remain open, but some appointments are being shifted to virtual settings. Certain elective surgeries and procedures could be rescheduled.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“For months, we’ve been preparing contingency plans to ensure our members will continue to receive safe, high-quality care,” Kaiser said. “We remain committed to an agreement that balances fair pay with affordable care.”\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Compensation has been a major sticking point in the negotiations between the Alliance of Healthcare Unions and Kaiser.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The alliance in May proposed a 38% wage increase over four years, though it has since lowered its ask to 25%. Kaiser’s most recent offer includes a 21.5% raise over four years, which it said builds on an already competitive pay scale. The proposal would improve health plans and retiree benefits for employees, according to Lionel Sims, the vice president of human resources for Kaiser Permanente in Northern California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But union leaders say Kaiser’s offer does not sufficiently compensate for the much smaller raises workers agreed to during the COVID-19 pandemic, when Kaiser said it was struggling financially.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the same time, Kaiser negotiated higher raises with other unions, according to Brian Mason, the representation director for one of the striking unions, the United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>UNAC/UHCP, which represents about 31,000 registered nurses, pharmacists, physician assistants and other health care professionals largely based in California, said its members need larger pay bumps to catch up.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12059848\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12059848\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251014-KAISER-STRIKE-START-MD-04-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251014-KAISER-STRIKE-START-MD-04-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251014-KAISER-STRIKE-START-MD-04-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251014-KAISER-STRIKE-START-MD-04-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Workers strike outside of the Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2025. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“They left us behind,” Mason said. “Now it’s our time. These are health care professionals who come to work every day who are committed to their patients and they’re out fighting for what they deserve.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The alliance is also concerned that Kaiser’s proposal would actually cut some health benefits and pensions for some groups of workers, including physicians assistants, nurse anesthetists and midwives.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Without a significant increase in compensation, the unions said, Kaiser medical centers will continue to be understaffed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re lacking staffing left and right in all different disciplines and inpatient and outpatient everywhere,” Vanden Heuvel told KQED.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jeff Cathcart, a certified registered nurse anesthetist who has been with Kaiser for 20 years, said that anesthetists have been bargaining for a contract for most of the two years since they unionized. In that time, they’ve lost more than 100 of their 400 CRNAs, he added.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They’re leaving for better working conditions, an average increase in pay of about 25%,” Cathcart said. “When we have that problem with retention and recruitment, that leads to access to care issues for our patients. And that’s really what we’re out here fighting for.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12059850\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12059850\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251014-KAISER-STRIKE-START-MD-06-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251014-KAISER-STRIKE-START-MD-06-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251014-KAISER-STRIKE-START-MD-06-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251014-KAISER-STRIKE-START-MD-06-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Arezou Mansourian leads workers in chanting as they strike outside of the Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2025. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The short staffing is leading to burnout and hurting patient care by delaying appointment wait times, said Arezou Mansourian, who has worked as a physician assistant in orthopedics at Kaiser in Walnut Creek, Dublin and Antioch for 16 years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If you break your wrist, you’re going to have to wait one to two weeks to see us,” she told KQED. “Things like dermatology have six-month waits … you try to go in and even get your eyes checked, it’s three months; a colonoscopy, three to six months in most areas.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If you’re a post-op patient and need to be seen weekly, and your therapist has to tell you, ‘Sorry, I’m booking out for four weeks,’ that’s not really the best of care,” Vanden Heuvel added.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kaiser has maintained that it meets or exceeds required state staffing levels.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sims, the VP of human resources, said the unions’ focus on negotiating higher pay is disingenuous.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12059845\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12059845\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251014-KAISER-STRIKE-START-MD-01-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251014-KAISER-STRIKE-START-MD-01-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251014-KAISER-STRIKE-START-MD-01-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251014-KAISER-STRIKE-START-MD-01-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Workers strike outside of the Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center in Oakland on Oct. 14, 2025. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“They say their goal is to protect patients by ensuring better care and staffing, but the real issue is wages,” he told KQED last week in a statement. “Their claims about Kaiser Permanente’s quality and staffing don’t reflect the facts.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Instead, Kaiser argues that offering a raise any higher than the 21.5% in its current proposal would force it to increase rates and potentially push people to “make the difficult choice to go without coverage.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The union alliance said Kaiser maintains significant financial reserves, mostly accumulated during the pandemic, and posted higher operating revenue and income in the first half of 2025 than the same period last year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mason also pointed to the employer’s recent expansion into new states, \u003ca href=\"https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/kaiser-permanente-launches-in-nevada-in-2026-302552906.html\">partnering with Renown Health\u003c/a> in Nevada and purchasing medical groups on the East Coast.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s kind of hard to feel sorry for Kaiser when they say they have to raise rates [while] they’re out buying new medical groups,” he said. “They’re sitting on a lot of money and that’s all profit that is made off the backs of the health care professionals who are currently on strike right now … that is a result of the work that they do.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/novato\">Novato city workers\u003c/a> walked off the job on Tuesday over what they believe are unfair labor practices and a deepening staffing crisis.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Employees skipped scheduled shifts at the Novato Gymnastics Center and Margaret Todd Senior Center, maintenance crews didn’t report to job sites and building inspections weren’t completed, according to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/labor\">Service Employees International Union Local 1021\u003c/a>, which represents the striking workers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Instead, dozens of the employees gathered at city hall, donning the union’s purple shirts and protesting the city’s lack of investment in its departments, which they say are sorely understaffed and underresourced.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We love our jobs. We don’t want to go on strike. But we have to hold the City of Novato accountable to the community, its employees and its fiscal commitments to public services,” said Perry Siu, who works as a recreation supervisor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In November, the city in northern Marin County approved Measure M — a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/marin/measures#measure-m\">0.75% sales tax increase\u003c/a> to generate about $10 million in additional city-controlled revenue each year — meant to offset a growing budget deficit and boost funding for public safety, infrastructure repairs and maintenance at parks and other public facilities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12050954\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12050954\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250805-NOVATO-STRIKE-MD-07-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250805-NOVATO-STRIKE-MD-07-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250805-NOVATO-STRIKE-MD-07-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250805-NOVATO-STRIKE-MD-07-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Public servants strike in front of the Novato City Hall on Aug. 5, 2025. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The city also said it would invest the cash in roles previously eliminated due to budget constraints during the pandemic and into salary increases to improve employee retention. Currently, one in five city workers has been employed for less than a year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Retailers implemented the new sales tax rate in April, and revenue became available to the city this month, but despite these changes, the union said promised improvements to their wages and city infrastructure aren’t being implemented.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We just aren’t seeing that at the bargaining table,” Tiffany Porter, a recreation and aquatics supervisor with the Parks, Recreation & Community Services Department, told KQED from the picket line on Tuesday.[aside postID=news_12050138 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/HospiceStrike3.jpg']That “is extremely frustrating when we spent our nights and weekends out there educating the community about Measure M, and it did pass,” she continued. Porter said she and other SEIU employees canvassed in the lead up to November’s election, rallying support for the measure that ultimately passed with more than 57% of the vote.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last month, the Novato City Council approved new labor agreements with four of its employee groups reflecting promises made in Measure M, including an 11% salary increase over three years and greater discounts for employees on city park and recreation programming. Those agreements affect about 31% of staff, but negotiations with the city’s other three unions — SEIU 1021 and Novato Police and Police Managers’ associations — are ongoing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>SEIU spokesperson Ian Lee said in a statement on Monday that 98% of the union’s bargaining unit voted in favor of the strike last week since the City Council was “refusing to follow through on their promise.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The City Council said in a statement midday Tuesday that it has offered all SEIU employees 11% raises over the next three years, and some even larger increases.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Despite multiple attempts to meet with SEIU over the past month, SEIU has chosen to prematurely strike instead of lawfully continuing negotiations,” the statement said. “We urge SEIU to return to the table in good faith so we can reach a fair and competitive agreement for Novato employees and stay focused on delivering high-quality services to the Novato community.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The City Council said it is working with staff to ensure there are minimal disruptions to city services.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/novato\">Novato city workers\u003c/a> walked off the job on Tuesday over what they believe are unfair labor practices and a deepening staffing crisis.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Employees skipped scheduled shifts at the Novato Gymnastics Center and Margaret Todd Senior Center, maintenance crews didn’t report to job sites and building inspections weren’t completed, according to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/labor\">Service Employees International Union Local 1021\u003c/a>, which represents the striking workers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Instead, dozens of the employees gathered at city hall, donning the union’s purple shirts and protesting the city’s lack of investment in its departments, which they say are sorely understaffed and underresourced.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We love our jobs. We don’t want to go on strike. But we have to hold the City of Novato accountable to the community, its employees and its fiscal commitments to public services,” said Perry Siu, who works as a recreation supervisor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In November, the city in northern Marin County approved Measure M — a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/elections/results/marin/measures#measure-m\">0.75% sales tax increase\u003c/a> to generate about $10 million in additional city-controlled revenue each year — meant to offset a growing budget deficit and boost funding for public safety, infrastructure repairs and maintenance at parks and other public facilities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12050954\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12050954\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250805-NOVATO-STRIKE-MD-07-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250805-NOVATO-STRIKE-MD-07-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250805-NOVATO-STRIKE-MD-07-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250805-NOVATO-STRIKE-MD-07-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Public servants strike in front of the Novato City Hall on Aug. 5, 2025. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The city also said it would invest the cash in roles previously eliminated due to budget constraints during the pandemic and into salary increases to improve employee retention. Currently, one in five city workers has been employed for less than a year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Retailers implemented the new sales tax rate in April, and revenue became available to the city this month, but despite these changes, the union said promised improvements to their wages and city infrastructure aren’t being implemented.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We just aren’t seeing that at the bargaining table,” Tiffany Porter, a recreation and aquatics supervisor with the Parks, Recreation & Community Services Department, told KQED from the picket line on Tuesday.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>That “is extremely frustrating when we spent our nights and weekends out there educating the community about Measure M, and it did pass,” she continued. Porter said she and other SEIU employees canvassed in the lead up to November’s election, rallying support for the measure that ultimately passed with more than 57% of the vote.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last month, the Novato City Council approved new labor agreements with four of its employee groups reflecting promises made in Measure M, including an 11% salary increase over three years and greater discounts for employees on city park and recreation programming. Those agreements affect about 31% of staff, but negotiations with the city’s other three unions — SEIU 1021 and Novato Police and Police Managers’ associations — are ongoing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>SEIU spokesperson Ian Lee said in a statement on Monday that 98% of the union’s bargaining unit voted in favor of the strike last week since the City Council was “refusing to follow through on their promise.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The City Council said in a statement midday Tuesday that it has offered all SEIU employees 11% raises over the next three years, and some even larger increases.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Despite multiple attempts to meet with SEIU over the past month, SEIU has chosen to prematurely strike instead of lawfully continuing negotiations,” the statement said. “We urge SEIU to return to the table in good faith so we can reach a fair and competitive agreement for Novato employees and stay focused on delivering high-quality services to the Novato community.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The City Council said it is working with staff to ensure there are minimal disruptions to city services.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "hospice-east-bay-workers-hold-one-day-strike-amid-contract-dispute",
"title": "Hospice East Bay Workers Hold One-Day Strike Amid Contract Dispute",
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"content": "\u003cp>Frustrated by delays in securing their first union contract nearly two years after organizing, workers at one of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/bay-area\">Bay Area\u003c/a>’s oldest hospice care organizations went on a one-day strike on Tuesday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Before dawn, some of the nonprofit’s 80 represented employees began picketing outside the Pleasant Hill headquarters of the nearly 50-year-old Hospice East Bay, demanding progress toward enshrining what they describe as modest workplace standards. The push for a contract comes amid the organization’s looming affiliation with a larger hospice chain based in Florida.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’ve asked for pretty simple things,” said Jill Tobin, who’s helped dying patients through their final moments for more than four years as a Registered Nurse Case Manager at Hospice East Bay.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“For example, we proposed to keep our benefits the same as they are now. We just wanted them protected under a contract,” Tobin said. “[Hospice East Bay] said no, they want the right to make them worse. And so, that’s been really shocking and disappointing.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Historically, patient care at the hospice has been “top notch,” Tobin said, but she’s noted a slow erosion since 2023, when nurses, bereavement counselors, pharmacists and others voted to join the National Union of Healthcare Workers. Since then, she said her caseload has jumped from 10 to 15 people, which she called painful for practitioners and patients both.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You’re coming into their home, you’re taking off your shoes, right? Your whole kind of goal is to build rapport and be present with them first and foremost. Like that’s really the medicine of hospice work,” Tobin said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12050147\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12050147\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/HospiceStrike1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/HospiceStrike1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/HospiceStrike1-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/HospiceStrike1-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Caregivers went on strike at one of the Bay Area’s oldest hospice facilities, Hospice East Bay in Pleasant Hill, on Tuesday, July 29, 2025. They say they are dealing with severe understaffing. \u003ccite>(Nibras Suliman/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The workers’ initial proposal included safe staffing ratios and a 5% wage increase every year for the next three years. But workers said they’ve been met with resistance, and have accused management of several unfair labor practices — including improperly freezing employees’ existing annual raises and laying off a cohort of represented musical therapists.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Claire Eustace, a spiritual care counselor, said she’s worried about clients losing access to her specialty’s services, as well.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m afraid that we have this big nonprofit that is taking over … probably starting some time in August. I’m afraid that the priority on spiritual care is gonna go away,” Eustace said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>UC Berkeley Labor Center Deputy Executive Director Laurel Lucia said nonprofit providers like Hospice East Bay, which serves Alameda, Contra Costa and parts of Solano counties, have a special duty to the community in a field that is increasingly facing corporatization by for-profit owners.[aside postID=news_12048636 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/npr.brightspotcdn-1020x680.jpg']Better conditions for workers, Lucia added, do affect patient experience.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There is research from other health care sectors that’s shown that adequate wages are an important component of retaining health care workers,” Lucia said. “And kind of relatedly, there is research showing the importance of adequate and consistent staffing to patients having good quality of care.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hospice East Bay spokesperson Rico Marcelli said he couldn’t speak to the bargaining process, other than to say that management remains committed to being at the table with workers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As for the decision to lay off the musical therapists, Marcelli said Hospice East Bay decided as part of its effort to contend with serious financial challenges — including a more than $4 million increase in operating losses in 2024 over the prior year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Nonprofit hospice care is under threat right now,” Marcelli said, “and part of that is lowered [Medicare] reimbursement rates.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement for hospice, which provides 92% of Hospice East Bay’s hospice revenue, Marcelli said, has not kept pace with increases in labor and other patient care expenses. For the current fiscal year, reimbursement for hospice care in Contra Costa County was cut by 1.4%.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Marcelli said hospice services will not be affected by the one-day strike and that he’s hopeful the two parties will come to an agreement soon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m sure we’re going to be able to get over these differences because we have to. If we don’t come together, we’re not going to be able to fulfill our mission.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s Nibras Suliman contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Frustrated by delays in securing their first union contract nearly two years after organizing, workers at one of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/bay-area\">Bay Area\u003c/a>’s oldest hospice care organizations went on a one-day strike on Tuesday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Before dawn, some of the nonprofit’s 80 represented employees began picketing outside the Pleasant Hill headquarters of the nearly 50-year-old Hospice East Bay, demanding progress toward enshrining what they describe as modest workplace standards. The push for a contract comes amid the organization’s looming affiliation with a larger hospice chain based in Florida.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’ve asked for pretty simple things,” said Jill Tobin, who’s helped dying patients through their final moments for more than four years as a Registered Nurse Case Manager at Hospice East Bay.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“For example, we proposed to keep our benefits the same as they are now. We just wanted them protected under a contract,” Tobin said. “[Hospice East Bay] said no, they want the right to make them worse. And so, that’s been really shocking and disappointing.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Historically, patient care at the hospice has been “top notch,” Tobin said, but she’s noted a slow erosion since 2023, when nurses, bereavement counselors, pharmacists and others voted to join the National Union of Healthcare Workers. Since then, she said her caseload has jumped from 10 to 15 people, which she called painful for practitioners and patients both.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You’re coming into their home, you’re taking off your shoes, right? Your whole kind of goal is to build rapport and be present with them first and foremost. Like that’s really the medicine of hospice work,” Tobin said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12050147\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12050147\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/HospiceStrike1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/HospiceStrike1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/HospiceStrike1-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/HospiceStrike1-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Caregivers went on strike at one of the Bay Area’s oldest hospice facilities, Hospice East Bay in Pleasant Hill, on Tuesday, July 29, 2025. They say they are dealing with severe understaffing. \u003ccite>(Nibras Suliman/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The workers’ initial proposal included safe staffing ratios and a 5% wage increase every year for the next three years. But workers said they’ve been met with resistance, and have accused management of several unfair labor practices — including improperly freezing employees’ existing annual raises and laying off a cohort of represented musical therapists.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Claire Eustace, a spiritual care counselor, said she’s worried about clients losing access to her specialty’s services, as well.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m afraid that we have this big nonprofit that is taking over … probably starting some time in August. I’m afraid that the priority on spiritual care is gonna go away,” Eustace said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>UC Berkeley Labor Center Deputy Executive Director Laurel Lucia said nonprofit providers like Hospice East Bay, which serves Alameda, Contra Costa and parts of Solano counties, have a special duty to the community in a field that is increasingly facing corporatization by for-profit owners.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Better conditions for workers, Lucia added, do affect patient experience.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There is research from other health care sectors that’s shown that adequate wages are an important component of retaining health care workers,” Lucia said. “And kind of relatedly, there is research showing the importance of adequate and consistent staffing to patients having good quality of care.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hospice East Bay spokesperson Rico Marcelli said he couldn’t speak to the bargaining process, other than to say that management remains committed to being at the table with workers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As for the decision to lay off the musical therapists, Marcelli said Hospice East Bay decided as part of its effort to contend with serious financial challenges — including a more than $4 million increase in operating losses in 2024 over the prior year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Nonprofit hospice care is under threat right now,” Marcelli said, “and part of that is lowered [Medicare] reimbursement rates.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement for hospice, which provides 92% of Hospice East Bay’s hospice revenue, Marcelli said, has not kept pace with increases in labor and other patient care expenses. For the current fiscal year, reimbursement for hospice care in Contra Costa County was cut by 1.4%.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Marcelli said hospice services will not be affected by the one-day strike and that he’s hopeful the two parties will come to an agreement soon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m sure we’re going to be able to get over these differences because we have to. If we don’t come together, we’re not going to be able to fulfill our mission.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s Nibras Suliman contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Update, 11:45 a.m. Sunday\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A potential strike involving thousands of unionized Safeway employees has been averted after they came to a tentative agreement with the grocery giant early Sunday morning.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The tentative agreement came after five months of negotiations, and gives workers a wage increase, a stronger pension plan, improved scheduling and affordable healthcare.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is a hard-earned and inspiring victory,” said UFCW Local 5 President John Frahm and UFCW Local 648 President Dan Larson in a joint statement. “Because our members stood together—strong and unshakable—they secured a contract that reflects their value and delivers real improvements for their families and futures.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Union leaders said they plan to schedule ratification votes in the coming days, and are confident members will sign off on the deal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We are pleased to have reached a fair and equitable tentative agreement with the UFCW locals in Northern California,” wrote Justin Hendrickson, a spokesperson for Safeway. “We appreciate the union’s partnership in reaching a contract that will benefit our associates and allow us to continue to serve our customers.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The strike — originally scheduled to begin Saturday morning — was put on hold as members of United Food and Commercial Workers attempted to get higher wages and better and more affordable medical benefits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jim Araby, spokesperson for UFCW Local 5, said in a statement Saturday morning that the union gave a midnight deadline “to get a deal done.” If not, union members will be on strike beginning at 12:01 a.m. Sunday “at numerous locations across Northern California.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While members voted to authorize a strike earlier this month, they cited “incremental progress toward a tentative agreement members can review and vote on,” according to a \u003ca href=\"https://ufcw5.org/2025/07/safeway-and-vons-workers-temporarily-extend-strike-deadline/\">joint statement\u003c/a> published early Saturday morning by three UFCW local chapters that represent workers across California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This recognition of our pressure and member solidarity is working,” UFCW Local 5 President John Frahm, UFCW 8-Golden State President Jacques Loveall, and UFCW Local 648 President Dan Larson in a joint statement. “Our members remain mobilized and ready, but as long as talks are advancing toward a fair deal, we will continue to bargain in good faith.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Original story\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bay Area residents may have to change their grocery shopping plans this weekend as \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/safeway\">Safeway\u003c/a> workers in Northern California threaten to go on strike Saturday if a labor contract is not secured.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>More than 20,000 workers represented by the United Food and Commercial Workers could walk out if a strike is called, which the union said would happen if they don’t reach an agreement with Safeway by Friday night. The labor group is seeking higher wages and increased benefits for grocery store employees, among other concerns.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have been in round-the-clock negotiations since yesterday morning and continuing through the day. There’s been some progress, but not enough as it stands,” Jim Araby, a spokesperson for UFCW Local 5 in Hayward, said Friday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While UFCW and Safeway leaders are still at the bargaining table alongside a federal mediator, Araby is skeptical they will be able to reach an agreement and have workers vote on it before the union’s deadline.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>More than 200 Safeway stores could be blocked by picket lines if a strike occurs, Araby said, adding that 95% of union members voted to approve the strike earlier this month.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Workers have been unable to keep up with exorbitant cost-of-living increases in the Bay Area, and health care costs have also gone up for the union’s members, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12049786\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12049786\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/20250117_Safeway-Injuries_DMB_00251_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/20250117_Safeway-Injuries_DMB_00251_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/20250117_Safeway-Injuries_DMB_00251_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/20250117_Safeway-Injuries_DMB_00251_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A tractor trailer exits Safeway’s Northern California Distribution Center in Tracy, on Jan. 17, 2025. \u003ccite>(David M. Barreda/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>A spokesperson for Safeway said in a statement that the company is committed to engaging in good-faith negotiations with UFCW Local 5 and other labor groups in Northern California, while also balancing the needs of customers and the corporation’s growth in a “highly competitive grocery industry.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“While we are disappointed that the unions have indicated the possibility of a strike at some of our stores, we fully respect our associates’ right to engage in collective bargaining,” the statement reads. “We are hopeful a resolution will be reached soon.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Safeway and its parent company, Albertsons, can afford to give workers better wages and benefits, Araby said, noting that the parent company reported a net income of \u003ca href=\"https://www.albertsonscompanies.com/newsroom/press-releases/news-details/2025/Albertsons-Companies-Inc--Reports-Fourth-Quarter-and-Full-Year-Results/default.aspx\">nearly $1 billion\u003c/a> last year and paid stockholders a $4 billion dividend in 2023.[aside postID=news_12048733 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/GarbageContainersGetty.jpg']“We know they’re doing well,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since word of a potential strike has spread, workers have reported seeing signs advertising that the company is looking for replacement workers. While union members negotiate for more equitable wages, Safeway plans on paying their temporary replacements $27 per hour — more than most of its workers make, Araby said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Most members feel like it was a massive slap in the face,” he said. “It’s definitely influenced our members to want to go out on strike. … It’s a typical tactic by employers to try to bring up doubt among the rank and file.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s been a busy few months for labor groups in the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In early July, more than 2,000 workers across the country went on strike after months of labor negotiations with waste management company \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12048733/trash-is-still-piling-up-as-republic-services-workers-strike-heres-what-to-know\">Republic Services\u003c/a> hit a standstill. A tentative agreement was reached between the parties last week, after Bay Area residents and officials issued complaints about trash piling up on sidewalks and in driveways.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to Araby, the increase in labor action speaks to workers’ increased frustrations about low wages, poor benefits and other labor conditions. The disparity between employers and their workers is growing, and people are fed up with wealthy corporations not treating their employees fairly, he said, adding that whether workers decide to keep going is up to companies like Safeway.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re interested in bringing forth a proposal that our members will be able to vote for. We want to avoid a work stoppage,” he said. “But our members have been clear to us that they’re ready to take one if the deal is not good enough.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Update, 11:45 a.m. Sunday\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A potential strike involving thousands of unionized Safeway employees has been averted after they came to a tentative agreement with the grocery giant early Sunday morning.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The tentative agreement came after five months of negotiations, and gives workers a wage increase, a stronger pension plan, improved scheduling and affordable healthcare.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is a hard-earned and inspiring victory,” said UFCW Local 5 President John Frahm and UFCW Local 648 President Dan Larson in a joint statement. “Because our members stood together—strong and unshakable—they secured a contract that reflects their value and delivers real improvements for their families and futures.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Union leaders said they plan to schedule ratification votes in the coming days, and are confident members will sign off on the deal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We are pleased to have reached a fair and equitable tentative agreement with the UFCW locals in Northern California,” wrote Justin Hendrickson, a spokesperson for Safeway. “We appreciate the union’s partnership in reaching a contract that will benefit our associates and allow us to continue to serve our customers.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The strike — originally scheduled to begin Saturday morning — was put on hold as members of United Food and Commercial Workers attempted to get higher wages and better and more affordable medical benefits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jim Araby, spokesperson for UFCW Local 5, said in a statement Saturday morning that the union gave a midnight deadline “to get a deal done.” If not, union members will be on strike beginning at 12:01 a.m. Sunday “at numerous locations across Northern California.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While members voted to authorize a strike earlier this month, they cited “incremental progress toward a tentative agreement members can review and vote on,” according to a \u003ca href=\"https://ufcw5.org/2025/07/safeway-and-vons-workers-temporarily-extend-strike-deadline/\">joint statement\u003c/a> published early Saturday morning by three UFCW local chapters that represent workers across California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This recognition of our pressure and member solidarity is working,” UFCW Local 5 President John Frahm, UFCW 8-Golden State President Jacques Loveall, and UFCW Local 648 President Dan Larson in a joint statement. “Our members remain mobilized and ready, but as long as talks are advancing toward a fair deal, we will continue to bargain in good faith.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Original story\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bay Area residents may have to change their grocery shopping plans this weekend as \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/safeway\">Safeway\u003c/a> workers in Northern California threaten to go on strike Saturday if a labor contract is not secured.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>More than 20,000 workers represented by the United Food and Commercial Workers could walk out if a strike is called, which the union said would happen if they don’t reach an agreement with Safeway by Friday night. The labor group is seeking higher wages and increased benefits for grocery store employees, among other concerns.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have been in round-the-clock negotiations since yesterday morning and continuing through the day. There’s been some progress, but not enough as it stands,” Jim Araby, a spokesperson for UFCW Local 5 in Hayward, said Friday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While UFCW and Safeway leaders are still at the bargaining table alongside a federal mediator, Araby is skeptical they will be able to reach an agreement and have workers vote on it before the union’s deadline.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>More than 200 Safeway stores could be blocked by picket lines if a strike occurs, Araby said, adding that 95% of union members voted to approve the strike earlier this month.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Workers have been unable to keep up with exorbitant cost-of-living increases in the Bay Area, and health care costs have also gone up for the union’s members, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12049786\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12049786\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/20250117_Safeway-Injuries_DMB_00251_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/20250117_Safeway-Injuries_DMB_00251_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/20250117_Safeway-Injuries_DMB_00251_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/20250117_Safeway-Injuries_DMB_00251_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A tractor trailer exits Safeway’s Northern California Distribution Center in Tracy, on Jan. 17, 2025. \u003ccite>(David M. Barreda/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>A spokesperson for Safeway said in a statement that the company is committed to engaging in good-faith negotiations with UFCW Local 5 and other labor groups in Northern California, while also balancing the needs of customers and the corporation’s growth in a “highly competitive grocery industry.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“While we are disappointed that the unions have indicated the possibility of a strike at some of our stores, we fully respect our associates’ right to engage in collective bargaining,” the statement reads. “We are hopeful a resolution will be reached soon.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Safeway and its parent company, Albertsons, can afford to give workers better wages and benefits, Araby said, noting that the parent company reported a net income of \u003ca href=\"https://www.albertsonscompanies.com/newsroom/press-releases/news-details/2025/Albertsons-Companies-Inc--Reports-Fourth-Quarter-and-Full-Year-Results/default.aspx\">nearly $1 billion\u003c/a> last year and paid stockholders a $4 billion dividend in 2023.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“We know they’re doing well,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since word of a potential strike has spread, workers have reported seeing signs advertising that the company is looking for replacement workers. While union members negotiate for more equitable wages, Safeway plans on paying their temporary replacements $27 per hour — more than most of its workers make, Araby said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Most members feel like it was a massive slap in the face,” he said. “It’s definitely influenced our members to want to go out on strike. … It’s a typical tactic by employers to try to bring up doubt among the rank and file.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s been a busy few months for labor groups in the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In early July, more than 2,000 workers across the country went on strike after months of labor negotiations with waste management company \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12048733/trash-is-still-piling-up-as-republic-services-workers-strike-heres-what-to-know\">Republic Services\u003c/a> hit a standstill. A tentative agreement was reached between the parties last week, after Bay Area residents and officials issued complaints about trash piling up on sidewalks and in driveways.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to Araby, the increase in labor action speaks to workers’ increased frustrations about low wages, poor benefits and other labor conditions. The disparity between employers and their workers is growing, and people are fed up with wealthy corporations not treating their employees fairly, he said, adding that whether workers decide to keep going is up to companies like Safeway.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re interested in bringing forth a proposal that our members will be able to vote for. We want to avoid a work stoppage,” he said. “But our members have been clear to us that they’re ready to take one if the deal is not good enough.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"tagline": "Where conversation and cultura meet",
"info": "What kind of no sabo word is Hyphenación? For us, it’s about living within a hyphenation. Like being a third-gen Mexican-American from the Texas border now living that Bay Area Chicano life. Like Xorje! Each week we bring together a couple of hyphenated Latinos to talk all about personal life choices: family, careers, relationships, belonging … everything is on the table. ",
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"info": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown brings listeners the wisdom of the former Governor, Mayor, and presidential candidate. Scott Shafer interviewed Brown for more than 40 hours, covering the former governor's life and half-century in the political game – and Brown has some lessons he'd like to share. ",
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"marketplace": {
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"info": "Our flagship program, helmed by Kai Ryssdal, examines what the day in money delivered, through stories, conversations, newsworthy numbers and more. Updated Monday through Friday at about 3:30 p.m. PT.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 4pm-4:30pm, MON-WED 6:30pm-7pm",
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"info": "The MindShift podcast explores the innovations in education that are shaping how kids learn. Hosts Ki Sung and Katrina Schwartz introduce listeners to educators, researchers, parents and students who are developing effective ways to improve how kids learn. We cover topics like how fed-up administrators are developing surprising tactics to deal with classroom disruptions; how listening to podcasts are helping kids develop reading skills; the consequences of overparenting; and why interdisciplinary learning can engage students on all ends of the traditional achievement spectrum. This podcast is part of the MindShift education site, a division of KQED News. KQED is an NPR/PBS member station based in San Francisco. You can also visit the MindShift website for episodes and supplemental blog posts or tweet us \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/MindShiftKQED\">@MindShiftKQED\u003c/a> or visit us at \u003ca href=\"/mindshift\">MindShift.KQED.org\u003c/a>",
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"info": "For decades, the process for how police police themselves has been inconsistent – if not opaque. In some states, like California, these proceedings were completely hidden. After a new police transparency law unsealed scores of internal affairs files, our reporters set out to examine these cases and the shadow world of police discipline. On Our Watch brings listeners into the rooms where officers are questioned and witnesses are interrogated to find out who this system is really protecting. Is it the officers, or the public they've sworn to serve?",
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"info": "Our weekly podcast explores how the media 'sausage' is made, casts an incisive eye on fluctuations in the marketplace of ideas, and examines threats to the freedom of information and expression in America and abroad. For one hour a week, the show tries to lift the veil from the process of \"making media,\" especially news media, because it's through that lens that we see the world and the world sees us",
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"info": "The economy explained. Imagine you could call up a friend and say, Meet me at the bar and tell me what's going on with the economy. Now imagine that's actually a fun evening.",
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"politicalbreakdown": {
"id": "politicalbreakdown",
"title": "Political Breakdown",
"tagline": "Politics from a personal perspective",
"info": "Political Breakdown is a new series that explores the political intersection of California and the nation. Each week hosts Scott Shafer and Marisa Lagos are joined with a new special guest to unpack politics -- with personality — and offer an insider’s glimpse at how politics happens.",
"airtime": "THU 6:30pm-7pm",
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"possible": {
"id": "possible",
"title": "Possible",
"info": "Possible is hosted by entrepreneur Reid Hoffman and writer Aria Finger. Together in Possible, Hoffman and Finger lead enlightening discussions about building a brighter collective future. The show features interviews with visionary guests like Trevor Noah, Sam Altman and Janette Sadik-Khan. Possible paints an optimistic portrait of the world we can create through science, policy, business, art and our shared humanity. It asks: What if everything goes right for once? How can we get there? Each episode also includes a short fiction story generated by advanced AI GPT-4, serving as a thought-provoking springboard to speculate how humanity could leverage technology for good.",
"airtime": "SUN 2pm",
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"pri-the-world": {
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"title": "PRI's The World: Latest Edition",
"info": "Each weekday, host Marco Werman and his team of producers bring you the world's most interesting stories in an hour of radio that reminds us just how small our planet really is.",
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"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-World-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
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},
"radiolab": {
"id": "radiolab",
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"info": "A two-time Peabody Award-winner, Radiolab is an investigation told through sounds and stories, and centered around one big idea. In the Radiolab world, information sounds like music and science and culture collide. Hosted by Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich, the show is designed for listeners who demand skepticism, but appreciate wonder. WNYC Studios is the producer of other leading podcasts including Freakonomics Radio, Death, Sex & Money, On the Media and many more.",
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"reveal": {
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"info": "Created by The Center for Investigative Reporting and PRX, Reveal is public radios first one-hour weekly radio show and podcast dedicated to investigative reporting. Credible, fact based and without a partisan agenda, Reveal combines the power and artistry of driveway moment storytelling with data-rich reporting on critically important issues. The result is stories that inform and inspire, arming our listeners with information to right injustices, hold the powerful accountable and improve lives.Reveal is hosted by Al Letson and showcases the award-winning work of CIR and newsrooms large and small across the nation. In a radio and podcast market crowded with choices, Reveal focuses on important and often surprising stories that illuminate the world for our listeners.",
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},
"rightnowish": {
"id": "rightnowish",
"title": "Rightnowish",
"tagline": "Art is where you find it",
"info": "Rightnowish digs into life in the Bay Area right now… ish. Journalist Pendarvis Harshaw takes us to galleries painted on the sides of liquor stores in West Oakland. We'll dance in warehouses in the Bayview, make smoothies with kids in South Berkeley, and listen to classical music in a 1984 Cutlass Supreme in Richmond. Every week, Pen talks to movers and shakers about how the Bay Area shapes what they create, and how they shape the place we call home.",
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},
"science-friday": {
"id": "science-friday",
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"info": "Science Friday is a weekly science talk show, broadcast live over public radio stations nationwide. Each week, the show focuses on science topics that are in the news and tries to bring an educated, balanced discussion to bear on the scientific issues at hand. Panels of expert guests join host Ira Flatow, a veteran science journalist, to discuss science and to take questions from listeners during the call-in portion of the program.",
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"snap-judgment": {
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"title": "Snap Judgment",
"tagline": "Real stories with killer beats",
"info": "The Snap Judgment radio show and podcast mixes real stories with killer beats to produce cinematic, dramatic radio. Snap's musical brand of storytelling dares listeners to see the world through the eyes of another. This is storytelling... with a BEAT!! Snap first aired on public radio stations nationwide in July 2010. Today, Snap Judgment airs on over 450 public radio stations and is brought to the airwaves by KQED & PRX.",
"airtime": "SAT 1pm-2pm, 9pm-10pm",
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},
"soldout": {
"id": "soldout",
"title": "SOLD OUT: Rethinking Housing in America",
"tagline": "A new future for housing",
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