window.__IS_SSR__=true
window.__INITIAL_STATE__={
"attachmentsReducer": {
"audio_0": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "audio_0",
"imgSizes": {
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/themes/KQED-unified/img/audio_bgs/background0.jpg"
}
}
},
"audio_1": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "audio_1",
"imgSizes": {
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/themes/KQED-unified/img/audio_bgs/background1.jpg"
}
}
},
"audio_2": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "audio_2",
"imgSizes": {
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/themes/KQED-unified/img/audio_bgs/background2.jpg"
}
}
},
"audio_3": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "audio_3",
"imgSizes": {
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/themes/KQED-unified/img/audio_bgs/background3.jpg"
}
}
},
"audio_4": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "audio_4",
"imgSizes": {
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/themes/KQED-unified/img/audio_bgs/background4.jpg"
}
}
},
"placeholder": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "placeholder",
"imgSizes": {
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 107,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"medium": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-800x533.jpg",
"width": 800,
"height": 533,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-768x512.jpg",
"width": 768,
"height": 512,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"height": 680,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1024,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"fd-lrg": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1024,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"fd-med": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"height": 680,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"fd-sm": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-800x533.jpg",
"width": 800,
"height": 533,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"height": 576,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"xxsmall": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 107,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"xsmall": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"small": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"xlarge": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"height": 680,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1920x1280.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"height": 1280,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"guest-author-32": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-1333x1333-1-160x160.jpg",
"width": 32,
"height": 32,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"guest-author-50": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-1333x1333-1-160x160.jpg",
"width": 50,
"height": 50,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"guest-author-64": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-1333x1333-1-160x160.jpg",
"width": 64,
"height": 64,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"guest-author-96": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-1333x1333-1-160x160.jpg",
"width": 96,
"height": 96,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"guest-author-128": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-1333x1333-1-160x160.jpg",
"width": 128,
"height": 128,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"detail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-1333x1333-1-160x160.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 160,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1.jpg",
"width": 2000,
"height": 1333
}
}
},
"news_12074205": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "news_12074205",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12074205",
"found": true
},
"title": "260210-SFUSDStrikeDay2-46-BL_qed",
"publishDate": 1771866705,
"status": "inherit",
"parent": 12074197,
"modified": 1772236716,
"caption": "Teachers, faculty and supporters march from Dolores Park to City Hall during the second day of an SFUSD teachers’ strike in San Francisco on Feb. 10, 2026. United Educators of San Francisco, which represents 6,000 teachers, classroom aides, counselors, social workers and other staff, voted 92% in favor of the $183 million deal.",
"credit": "Beth LaBerge/KQED",
"altTag": null,
"description": null,
"imgSizes": {
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260210-SFUSDStrikeDay2-46-BL_qed-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 107,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260210-SFUSDStrikeDay2-46-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1024,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260210-SFUSDStrikeDay2-46-BL_qed-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260210-SFUSDStrikeDay2-46-BL_qed-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"height": 576,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"npr-cds-wide": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260210-SFUSDStrikeDay2-46-BL_qed-1200x675.jpg",
"width": 1200,
"height": 675,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260210-SFUSDStrikeDay2-46-BL_qed.jpg",
"width": 1999,
"height": 1333
}
},
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"news_11948331": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "news_11948331",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "11948331",
"found": true
},
"title": "RS55916_058_KQED_OaklandTeacherStrike_04292022-qut",
"publishDate": 1683062568,
"status": "inherit",
"parent": 11948320,
"modified": 1772216225,
"caption": "Oakland teachers and students listen to speakers during a rally as part of a one-day walkout on April 29, 2022, to protest the Oakland Unified School District's planned closures. Teachers represented by the Oakland Education Association may go on strike once again on Thursday.",
"credit": "Beth LaBerge/KQED",
"altTag": "An older Black man stands outside at a rally, with a sign hanging from his neck that says: 'Fund Public Schools.'",
"description": null,
"imgSizes": {
"medium": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/RS55916_058_KQED_OaklandTeacherStrike_04292022-qut-800x533.jpg",
"width": 800,
"height": 533,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/RS55916_058_KQED_OaklandTeacherStrike_04292022-qut-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"height": 680,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/RS55916_058_KQED_OaklandTeacherStrike_04292022-qut-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 107,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/RS55916_058_KQED_OaklandTeacherStrike_04292022-qut-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1024,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/RS55916_058_KQED_OaklandTeacherStrike_04292022-qut-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/RS55916_058_KQED_OaklandTeacherStrike_04292022-qut-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"height": 576,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/RS55916_058_KQED_OaklandTeacherStrike_04292022-qut.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"height": 1280
}
},
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"news_12037666": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "news_12037666",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12037666",
"found": true
},
"title": "_DSC7276_qed",
"publishDate": 1745604009,
"status": "inherit",
"parent": 12037661,
"modified": 1745604051,
"caption": "Hundreds of Oakland teachers and their supporters converged on Frank H. Ogawa Plaza in front of City Hall on May 4, 2023, for a festive rally to close out the first day of an open-ended strike.",
"credit": "Aryk Copley for KQED",
"altTag": null,
"description": null,
"imgSizes": {
"medium": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/DSC7276_qed-800x533.jpg",
"width": 800,
"height": 533,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/DSC7276_qed-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"height": 680,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/DSC7276_qed-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 107,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/DSC7276_qed-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1024,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/DSC7276_qed-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/DSC7276_qed-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"height": 576,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/DSC7276_qed-1920x1280.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"height": 1280,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/DSC7276_qed.jpg",
"width": 2000,
"height": 1333
}
},
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"news_12074813": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "news_12074813",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12074813",
"found": true
},
"title": "Sikh Truckers",
"publishDate": 1772147085,
"status": "inherit",
"parent": 12074694,
"modified": 1772147116,
"caption": "Freight trucks travel northbound on Interstate 5 Highway, Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2025, in Tracy, California.",
"credit": "Godofredo A. Vásquez/AP Photo",
"altTag": null,
"description": null,
"imgSizes": {
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/ImmigrantTruckLicensesAP-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 107,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/ImmigrantTruckLicensesAP-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1024,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/ImmigrantTruckLicensesAP-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/ImmigrantTruckLicensesAP-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"height": 576,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"npr-cds-wide": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/ImmigrantTruckLicensesAP-1200x675.jpg",
"width": 1200,
"height": 675,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/ImmigrantTruckLicensesAP.jpg",
"width": 2000,
"height": 1333
}
},
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"news_12074735": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "news_12074735",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12074735",
"found": true
},
"title": "260226-SFCOURTSTRIKE-05-BL-KQED",
"publishDate": 1772126633,
"status": "inherit",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1772126759,
"caption": "San Francisco Superior Court clerks and supporters rally outside the Hall of Justice in San Francisco on Feb. 26, 2026, as members of SEIU Local 1021 strike amid stalled contract negotiations over pay, staffing and workload concerns.",
"credit": "Beth LaBerge/KQED",
"altTag": null,
"description": null,
"imgSizes": {
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260226-SFCOURTSTRIKE-05-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 107,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260226-SFCOURTSTRIKE-05-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1024,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260226-SFCOURTSTRIKE-05-BL-KQED-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260226-SFCOURTSTRIKE-05-BL-KQED-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"height": 576,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"npr-cds-wide": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260226-SFCOURTSTRIKE-05-BL-KQED-1200x675.jpg",
"width": 1200,
"height": 675,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260226-SFCOURTSTRIKE-05-BL-KQED.jpg",
"width": 2000,
"height": 1333
}
},
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"news_12074472": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "news_12074472",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12074472",
"found": true
},
"title": "022426_ALAMEDA COUNTY HEALTH CUTS _GH_003-KQED",
"publishDate": 1771972837,
"status": "inherit",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1771972878,
"caption": "Resident physicians hold signs during a “unity break” outside Highland Hospital in Oakland on Feb. 24, 2026, calling attention to layoffs, staffing shortages and contract negotiations with Alameda Health System, including an ICE protocol.",
"credit": "Gustavo Hernandez/KQED",
"altTag": null,
"description": null,
"imgSizes": {
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/022426_ALAMEDA-COUNTY-HEALTH-CUTS-_GH_003-KQED-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 107,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/022426_ALAMEDA-COUNTY-HEALTH-CUTS-_GH_003-KQED-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1024,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/022426_ALAMEDA-COUNTY-HEALTH-CUTS-_GH_003-KQED-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/022426_ALAMEDA-COUNTY-HEALTH-CUTS-_GH_003-KQED-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"height": 576,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"npr-cds-wide": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/022426_ALAMEDA-COUNTY-HEALTH-CUTS-_GH_003-KQED-1200x675.jpg",
"width": 1200,
"height": 675,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/022426_ALAMEDA-COUNTY-HEALTH-CUTS-_GH_003-KQED.jpg",
"width": 2000,
"height": 1333
}
},
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"news_12074490": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "news_12074490",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12074490",
"found": true
},
"title": "SJ with Trans Flag in Background- Photographer - Miya Tsudome",
"publishDate": 1771976613,
"status": "inherit",
"parent": 12074453,
"modified": 1771976829,
"caption": "SJ Joslin, Yosemite National Park ranger and biologist, was fired in August after hanging a transgender pride flag on El Capitan. Joslin is now suing the Department of the Interior, alleging First Amendment and Privacy Act violations.",
"credit": "Courtesy of Miya Tsudome",
"altTag": null,
"description": null,
"imgSizes": {
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/SJ-with-Trans-Flag-in-Background-Photographer-Miya-Tsudome-160x120.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 120,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/SJ-with-Trans-Flag-in-Background-Photographer-Miya-Tsudome-1536x1152.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1152,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/SJ-with-Trans-Flag-in-Background-Photographer-Miya-Tsudome-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/SJ-with-Trans-Flag-in-Background-Photographer-Miya-Tsudome-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"height": 576,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"npr-cds-wide": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/SJ-with-Trans-Flag-in-Background-Photographer-Miya-Tsudome-1200x675.jpg",
"width": 1200,
"height": 675,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/SJ-with-Trans-Flag-in-Background-Photographer-Miya-Tsudome.jpg",
"width": 2000,
"height": 1500
}
},
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"news_12073904": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "news_12073904",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12073904",
"found": true
},
"title": "260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00420_TV-KQED",
"publishDate": 1771537913,
"status": "inherit",
"parent": 12073887,
"modified": 1771879049,
"caption": "Chris Pyper (left), a physician assistant from Kaiser San Leandro, marches while on strike outside Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center in Oakland on Feb. 19, 2026.",
"credit": "Tâm Vũ/KQED",
"altTag": null,
"description": null,
"imgSizes": {
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00420_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 107,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00420_TV-KQED-1536x1025.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1025,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00420_TV-KQED-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00420_TV-KQED-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"height": 576,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"npr-cds-wide": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00420_TV-KQED-1200x675.jpg",
"width": 1200,
"height": 675,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00420_TV-KQED.jpg",
"width": 2000,
"height": 1334
}
},
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"news_12073906": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "news_12073906",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12073906",
"found": true
},
"title": "260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS01224_TV-KQED",
"publishDate": 1771537935,
"status": "inherit",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1771544711,
"caption": "Darcy Stanley, a nurse midwife from Kaiser Oakland, on strike at the picket line outside Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center in Oakland on Feb. 19, 2026. Kaiser workers on the picket lines have gone without their paychecks for four weeks, and many are facing financial and other difficulties.",
"credit": "Tâm Vũ/KQED",
"altTag": null,
"description": null,
"imgSizes": {
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS01224_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 107,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS01224_TV-KQED-1536x1025.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1025,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS01224_TV-KQED-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS01224_TV-KQED-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"height": 576,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"npr-cds-wide": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS01224_TV-KQED-1200x675.jpg",
"width": 1200,
"height": 675,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS01224_TV-KQED.jpg",
"width": 2000,
"height": 1334
}
},
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"news_12073915": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "news_12073915",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12073915",
"found": true
},
"title": "038_KQED_KaiserStrikeOakland_08192022_qed (2)",
"publishDate": 1771539636,
"status": "inherit",
"parent": 12073839,
"modified": 1771539650,
"caption": "Kaiser mental health care workers and supporters march from Oakland Kaiser Medical Center to Kaiser's corporate headquarters on Friday, Aug. 19, 2022, the fifth day of an open-ended strike.",
"credit": "Beth LaBerge/KQED",
"altTag": null,
"description": null,
"imgSizes": {
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/038_KQED_KaiserStrikeOakland_08192022_qed-2-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 107,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/038_KQED_KaiserStrikeOakland_08192022_qed-2-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1024,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/038_KQED_KaiserStrikeOakland_08192022_qed-2-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/038_KQED_KaiserStrikeOakland_08192022_qed-2-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"height": 576,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"npr-cds-wide": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/038_KQED_KaiserStrikeOakland_08192022_qed-2-1200x675.jpg",
"width": 1200,
"height": 675,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/038_KQED_KaiserStrikeOakland_08192022_qed-2.jpg",
"width": 2000,
"height": 1333
}
},
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"news_12071095": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "news_12071095",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12071095",
"found": true
},
"title": "260126-KAISER-STRIKE-BEGINS-MD-06-KQED-3_1",
"publishDate": 1769467001,
"status": "inherit",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1769467030,
"caption": "Workers walk a picket line at Kaiser Oakland Medical Center in Oakland on Jan. 26, 2026.",
"credit": "Martin do Nascimento/KQED",
"altTag": null,
"description": null,
"imgSizes": {
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/260126-KAISER-STRIKE-BEGINS-MD-06-KQED-3_1-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 107,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/260126-KAISER-STRIKE-BEGINS-MD-06-KQED-3_1-1536x1025.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1025,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/260126-KAISER-STRIKE-BEGINS-MD-06-KQED-3_1-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/260126-KAISER-STRIKE-BEGINS-MD-06-KQED-3_1-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"height": 576,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"npr-cds-wide": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/260126-KAISER-STRIKE-BEGINS-MD-06-KQED-3_1-1200x675.jpg",
"width": 1200,
"height": 675,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/260126-KAISER-STRIKE-BEGINS-MD-06-KQED-3_1.jpg",
"width": 2000,
"height": 1334
}
},
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"news_11947188": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "news_11947188",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "11947188",
"found": true
},
"parent": 11947102,
"imgSizes": {
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/018_KQED_UCSFBenioffChildrensHospStrike_04192023-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 576
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/018_KQED_UCSFBenioffChildrensHospStrike_04192023-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 107
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/018_KQED_UCSFBenioffChildrensHospStrike_04192023-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 372
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/018_KQED_UCSFBenioffChildrensHospStrike_04192023.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"height": 1280
},
"large": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/018_KQED_UCSFBenioffChildrensHospStrike_04192023-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 680
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/018_KQED_UCSFBenioffChildrensHospStrike_04192023-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 1024
},
"medium": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/018_KQED_UCSFBenioffChildrensHospStrike_04192023-800x533.jpg",
"width": 800,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 533
}
},
"publishDate": 1681947416,
"modified": 1681947752,
"caption": "Hospital employees and supporters gather for a rally outside of the UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital in Oakland on April 19, 2023, during a one-day strike authorized by more than 1,200 members of the National Union of Healthcare Workers at the Oakland and Walnut Creek hospitals.",
"description": null,
"title": "018_KQED_UCSFBenioffChildrensHospStrike_04192023",
"credit": "Beth LaBerge/KQED",
"status": "inherit",
"altTag": "Hundreds of protestors in red T-shirts hold red and yellow picket signs outside of UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland.",
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
}
},
"audioPlayerReducer": {
"postId": "stream_live",
"isPaused": true,
"isPlaying": false,
"pfsActive": false,
"pledgeModalIsOpen": true,
"playerDrawerIsOpen": false,
"liveAudioPlayStartedAt": 0,
"liveAudioPlayContext": ""
},
"authorsReducer": {
"adembosky": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "3205",
"meta": {
"index": "authors_1716337520",
"id": "3205",
"found": true
},
"name": "April Dembosky",
"firstName": "April",
"lastName": "Dembosky",
"slug": "adembosky",
"email": "adembosky@kqed.org",
"display_author_email": false,
"staff_mastheads": [
"news",
"science"
],
"title": "KQED Health Correspondent",
"bio": "April Dembosky is the health correspondent for KQED News and a regular contributor to NPR. She specializes in covering altered states of mind, from postpartum depression to methamphetamine-induced psychosis to the insanity defense. Her investigative series on insurance companies sidestepping mental health laws won multiple awards, including first place in beat reporting from the national Association of Health Care Journalists. She is the recipient of numerous other prizes and fellowships, including a national Edward R. Murrow award for investigative reporting, a Society of Professional Journalists award for long-form storytelling, and a Carter Center Fellowship for Mental Health Journalism.\r\n\r\nDembosky reported and produced \u003cem>Soundtrack of Silence\u003c/em>, an audio documentary about music and memory that is currently being made into a feature film by Paramount Pictures.\r\n\r\nBefore joining KQED in 2013, Dembosky covered technology and Silicon Valley for \u003cem>The Financial Times of London,\u003c/em> and contributed business and arts stories to \u003cem>Marketplace \u003c/em>and \u003cem>The New York Times.\u003c/em> She got her undergraduate degree in philosophy from Smith College and her master's in journalism from the University of California, Berkeley. She is a classically trained violinist and proud alum of the first symphony orchestra at Burning Man.",
"avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ef92999be4ceb9ea60701e7dc276f813?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twitter": "adembosky",
"facebook": null,
"instagram": null,
"linkedin": null,
"sites": [
{
"site": "arts",
"roles": [
"author"
]
},
{
"site": "news",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "futureofyou",
"roles": [
"author"
]
},
{
"site": "stateofhealth",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "science",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "forum",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
}
],
"headData": {
"title": "April Dembosky | KQED",
"description": "KQED Health Correspondent",
"ogImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ef92999be4ceb9ea60701e7dc276f813?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ef92999be4ceb9ea60701e7dc276f813?s=600&d=blank&r=g"
},
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/author/adembosky"
},
"ecruzguevarra": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "8654",
"meta": {
"index": "authors_1716337520",
"id": "8654",
"found": true
},
"name": "Ericka Cruz Guevarra",
"firstName": "Ericka",
"lastName": "Cruz Guevarra",
"slug": "ecruzguevarra",
"email": "ecruzguevarra@kqed.org",
"display_author_email": true,
"staff_mastheads": [
"news"
],
"title": "Producer, The Bay Podcast",
"bio": "Ericka Cruz Guevarra is host of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/podcasts/thebay\">\u003cem>The Bay\u003c/em>\u003c/a> podcast at KQED. Before host, she was the show’s producer. Her work in that capacity includes a three-part reported series on policing in Vallejo, which won a 2020 excellence in journalism award from the Society of Professional Journalists. Ericka has worked as a breaking news reporter at Oregon Public Broadcasting, helped produce the Code Switch podcast, and was KQED’s inaugural Raul Ramirez Diversity Fund intern. She’s also an alumna of NPR’s Next Generation Radio program. Send her an email if you have strong feelings about whether Fairfield and Suisun City are the Bay. Ericka is represented by SAG-AFTRA.",
"avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/accefc1de4bafc7e234b69bcb9b6f6536c130fd84709bc3069ef11a78787e1bb?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twitter": "NotoriousECG",
"bluesky": null,
"facebook": null,
"instagram": null,
"linkedin": null,
"sites": [
{
"site": "arts",
"roles": [
"subscriber"
]
},
{
"site": "news",
"roles": [
"editor",
"manage_categories"
]
},
{
"site": "futureofyou",
"roles": [
"subscriber"
]
},
{
"site": "stateofhealth",
"roles": [
"subscriber"
]
},
{
"site": "science",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "forum",
"roles": [
"subscriber"
]
}
],
"headData": {
"title": "Ericka Cruz Guevarra | KQED",
"description": "Producer, The Bay Podcast",
"ogImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/accefc1de4bafc7e234b69bcb9b6f6536c130fd84709bc3069ef11a78787e1bb?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/accefc1de4bafc7e234b69bcb9b6f6536c130fd84709bc3069ef11a78787e1bb?s=600&d=blank&r=g"
},
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/author/ecruzguevarra"
},
"fjhabvala": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "8659",
"meta": {
"index": "authors_1716337520",
"id": "8659",
"found": true
},
"name": "Farida Jhabvala Romero",
"firstName": "Farida",
"lastName": "Jhabvala Romero",
"slug": "fjhabvala",
"email": "fjhabvala@kqed.org",
"display_author_email": true,
"staff_mastheads": [
"news"
],
"title": "KQED Contributor",
"bio": "Farida Jhabvala Romero is a Labor Correspondent for KQED. She previously covered immigration. Farida was \u003ca href=\"https://www.ccnma.org/2022-most-influential-latina-journalists\">named\u003c/a> one of the 10 Most Influential Latina Journalists in California in 2022 by the California Chicano News Media Association. Her work has won awards from the Society of Professional Journalists (Northern California), as well as a national and regional Edward M. Murrow Award for the collaborative reporting projects “Dangerous Air” and “Graying California.” Before joining KQED, Farida worked as a producer at Radio Bilingüe, a national public radio network. Farida earned her master’s degree in journalism from Stanford University.",
"avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/f9f022d4e2609741874222a1e9d41f48fea74011aa7c615eef91d9a50c944ebe?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twitter": "FaridaJhabvala",
"bluesky": null,
"facebook": null,
"instagram": null,
"linkedin": "https://www.linkedin.com/in/faridajhabvala/",
"sites": [
{
"site": "news",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "stateofhealth",
"roles": [
"author"
]
},
{
"site": "liveblog",
"roles": [
"author"
]
}
],
"headData": {
"title": "Farida Jhabvala Romero | KQED",
"description": "KQED Contributor",
"ogImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/f9f022d4e2609741874222a1e9d41f48fea74011aa7c615eef91d9a50c944ebe?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/f9f022d4e2609741874222a1e9d41f48fea74011aa7c615eef91d9a50c944ebe?s=600&d=blank&r=g"
},
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/author/fjhabvala"
},
"vrancano": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "11276",
"meta": {
"index": "authors_1716337520",
"id": "11276",
"found": true
},
"name": "Vanessa Rancaño",
"firstName": "Vanessa",
"lastName": "Rancaño",
"slug": "vrancano",
"email": "vrancano@kqed.org",
"display_author_email": false,
"staff_mastheads": [
"news"
],
"title": "Reporter",
"bio": "Vanessa Rancaño is a features reporter for KQED. She’s also covered homelessness and education for the station and reported from the Central Valley. Her work has aired across public radio, from flagship national news shows to longform narrative podcasts. Before taking up a mic, she worked as a freelance print journalist. She’s been recognized with a number of national and regional awards. Vanessa grew up in California's Central Valley. She's a former NPR Kroc Fellow, and a graduate of the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism.",
"avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/b3a383dfb0e7ee1c17568f2cf067904ab654d6e3de9743fc661f3c788ade1bed?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twitter": "vanessarancano",
"bluesky": null,
"facebook": null,
"instagram": null,
"linkedin": null,
"sites": [
{
"site": "arts",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "news",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "liveblog",
"roles": [
"contributor"
]
}
],
"headData": {
"title": "Vanessa Rancaño | KQED",
"description": "Reporter",
"ogImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/b3a383dfb0e7ee1c17568f2cf067904ab654d6e3de9743fc661f3c788ade1bed?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/b3a383dfb0e7ee1c17568f2cf067904ab654d6e3de9743fc661f3c788ade1bed?s=600&d=blank&r=g"
},
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/author/vrancano"
},
"amontecillo": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "11649",
"meta": {
"index": "authors_1716337520",
"id": "11649",
"found": true
},
"name": "Alan Montecillo",
"firstName": "Alan",
"lastName": "Montecillo",
"slug": "amontecillo",
"email": "amontecillo@kqed.org",
"display_author_email": false,
"staff_mastheads": [
"news"
],
"title": "KQED Contributor",
"bio": "Alan Montecillo is the senior editor of \u003cem>\u003ca href=\"http://kqed.org/thebay\">The Bay\u003c/a>, \u003c/em> KQED's local news podcast. Before moving to the Bay Area, he worked as a senior talk show producer for WILL in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois and at Oregon Public Broadcasting in Portland, Oregon. He has won journalism awards from the Society of Professional Journalists Northern California, the Public Media Journalists Association, The Signal Awards, and has also received a regional Edward R. Murrow award. Alan is a Filipino American from Hong Kong and a graduate of Reed College.",
"avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/d5e4e7a76481969ccba76f4e2b5ccabc?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twitter": "alanmontecillo",
"facebook": null,
"instagram": null,
"linkedin": null,
"sites": [
{
"site": "",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "news",
"roles": [
"editor",
"manage_categories"
]
}
],
"headData": {
"title": "Alan Montecillo | KQED",
"description": "KQED Contributor",
"ogImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/d5e4e7a76481969ccba76f4e2b5ccabc?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/d5e4e7a76481969ccba76f4e2b5ccabc?s=600&d=blank&r=g"
},
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/author/amontecillo"
},
"nkhan": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "11867",
"meta": {
"index": "authors_1716337520",
"id": "11867",
"found": true
},
"name": "Nisa Khan",
"firstName": "Nisa",
"lastName": "Khan",
"slug": "nkhan",
"email": "nkhan@kqed.org",
"display_author_email": false,
"staff_mastheads": [],
"title": "KQED Contributor",
"bio": "Nisa Khan is a reporter for KQED's Audience News Desk. She was formerly a data reporter at Michigan Radio. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Information from the University of Michigan and a Master of Arts in Communication from Stanford University.",
"avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/8720459eef081ff64582b3506b124d58523e80e120704a0cbd9892533c914991?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twitter": "mnisakhan",
"bluesky": null,
"facebook": null,
"instagram": null,
"linkedin": null,
"sites": [
{
"site": "arts",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "news",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "science",
"roles": [
"editor",
"author"
]
},
{
"site": "forum",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "liveblog",
"roles": [
"contributor"
]
}
],
"headData": {
"title": "Nisa Khan | KQED",
"description": "KQED Contributor",
"ogImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/8720459eef081ff64582b3506b124d58523e80e120704a0cbd9892533c914991?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/8720459eef081ff64582b3506b124d58523e80e120704a0cbd9892533c914991?s=600&d=blank&r=g"
},
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/author/nkhan"
},
"kdebenedetti": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "11913",
"meta": {
"index": "authors_1716337520",
"id": "11913",
"found": true
},
"name": "Katie DeBenedetti",
"firstName": "Katie",
"lastName": "DeBenedetti",
"slug": "kdebenedetti",
"email": "kdebenedetti@kqed.org",
"display_author_email": false,
"staff_mastheads": [
"news",
"science"
],
"title": "KQED Contributor",
"bio": "Katie DeBenedetti is a digital reporter covering daily news for the Express Desk. Prior to joining KQED as a culture reporting intern in January 2024, she covered education and city government for the Napa Valley Register.",
"avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/6e31073cb8f7e4214ab03f42771d0f45?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twitter": null,
"facebook": null,
"instagram": null,
"linkedin": null,
"sites": [
{
"site": "news",
"roles": [
"author"
]
},
{
"site": "science",
"roles": [
"author"
]
},
{
"site": "liveblog",
"roles": [
"author"
]
}
],
"headData": {
"title": "Katie DeBenedetti | KQED",
"description": "KQED Contributor",
"ogImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/6e31073cb8f7e4214ab03f42771d0f45?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/6e31073cb8f7e4214ab03f42771d0f45?s=600&d=blank&r=g"
},
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/author/kdebenedetti"
},
"emanoukian": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "11925",
"meta": {
"index": "authors_1716337520",
"id": "11925",
"found": true
},
"name": "Elize Manoukian",
"firstName": "Elize",
"lastName": "Manoukian",
"slug": "emanoukian",
"email": "emanoukian@KQED.org",
"display_author_email": false,
"staff_mastheads": [
"news"
],
"title": "Digital Producer",
"bio": null,
"avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/4525f1a8e46ccb30933b32653d9772064cfefe3fa655eb45b3b3a80341f6bdad?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twitter": null,
"bluesky": null,
"facebook": null,
"instagram": null,
"linkedin": null,
"sites": [
{
"site": "arts",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "news",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "science",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
}
],
"headData": {
"title": "Elize Manoukian | KQED",
"description": "Digital Producer",
"ogImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/4525f1a8e46ccb30933b32653d9772064cfefe3fa655eb45b3b3a80341f6bdad?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/4525f1a8e46ccb30933b32653d9772064cfefe3fa655eb45b3b3a80341f6bdad?s=600&d=blank&r=g"
},
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/author/emanoukian"
},
"gglueck": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "11946",
"meta": {
"index": "authors_1716337520",
"id": "11946",
"found": true
},
"name": "Gabriela Glueck",
"firstName": "Gabriela",
"lastName": "Glueck",
"slug": "gglueck",
"email": "gglueck@kqed.org",
"display_author_email": false,
"staff_mastheads": [
"news"
],
"title": "KQED Contributor",
"bio": null,
"avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/097b777fe1ad90e753bb1882b1ae01f3?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twitter": null,
"bluesky": null,
"facebook": null,
"instagram": null,
"linkedin": null,
"sites": [
{
"site": "news",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
}
],
"headData": {
"title": "Gabriela Glueck | KQED",
"description": "KQED Contributor",
"ogImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/097b777fe1ad90e753bb1882b1ae01f3?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/097b777fe1ad90e753bb1882b1ae01f3?s=600&d=blank&r=g"
},
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/author/gglueck"
},
"sarahwright": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "11956",
"meta": {
"index": "authors_1716337520",
"id": "11956",
"found": true
},
"name": "Sarah Wright",
"firstName": "Sarah",
"lastName": "Wright",
"slug": "sarahwright",
"email": "swright@kqed.org",
"display_author_email": true,
"staff_mastheads": [],
"title": "Outdoors Engagement Reporter",
"bio": "Sarah Wright is KQED's Outdoors Engagement Reporter. Originally from Lake Tahoe, she completed a thru-hike of the Pacific Crest Trail in 2019 and was a U.S. Fulbright Program grantee to Argentina in 2023. Her journalism has appeared in The Guardian, The San Francisco Standard, The Palo Alto Weekly and the Half Moon Bay Review.",
"avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/c161a3d6441865cba25e6db4fa561099ad665799e9432e34da2b84d7e371524c?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twitter": null,
"bluesky": null,
"facebook": null,
"instagram": null,
"linkedin": null,
"sites": [
{
"site": "arts",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "news",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
},
{
"site": "science",
"roles": [
"contributor",
"author"
]
},
{
"site": "forum",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
}
],
"headData": {
"title": "Sarah Wright | KQED",
"description": "Outdoors Engagement Reporter",
"ogImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/c161a3d6441865cba25e6db4fa561099ad665799e9432e34da2b84d7e371524c?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/c161a3d6441865cba25e6db4fa561099ad665799e9432e34da2b84d7e371524c?s=600&d=blank&r=g"
},
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/author/sarahwright"
}
},
"pagesReducer": {
"news_tag_labor": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_19904",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "19904",
"score": 8.554949
},
"name": "Labor",
"slug": "labor",
"taxonomy": "tag",
"description": null,
"featImg": null,
"headData": {
"title": "Labor | KQED News",
"description": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogDescription": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"twDescription": null,
"twImgId": null
},
"ttid": 19921,
"isLoading": false,
"title": "Labor",
"pageMeta": {
"site": "news",
"WpPageTemplate": "page-topic-editorial",
"currentPage": 7
},
"blocks": [
{
"blockName": "kqed/post-list",
"attrs": {
"layout": "cardArticle2",
"query": "posts/news?tag=labor",
"seeMore": false,
"paginated": true,
"page": 7
}
},
{
"blockName": "kqed/ad"
}
]
}
},
"pfsSessionReducer": {},
"postsReducer": {
"stream_live": {
"type": "live",
"id": "stream_live",
"audioUrl": "https://streams.kqed.org/kqedradio",
"title": "Live Stream",
"excerpt": "Live Stream information currently unavailable.",
"link": "/radio",
"featImg": "",
"label": {
"name": "KQED Live",
"link": "/"
}
},
"stream_kqedNewscast": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "stream_kqedNewscast",
"audioUrl": "https://www.kqed.org/.stream/anon/radio/RDnews/newscast.mp3?_=1",
"title": "KQED Newscast",
"featImg": "",
"label": {
"name": "88.5 FM",
"link": "/"
}
},
"news_12074913": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "news_12074913",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12074913",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1772232963000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "sfusd-teachers-union-overwhelmingly-approves-contract-deal",
"title": "SFUSD Teachers Union Overwhelmingly Approves Contract Deal",
"publishDate": 1772232963,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "SFUSD Teachers Union Overwhelmingly Approves Contract Deal | KQED",
"labelTerm": {
"site": "news"
},
"content": "\u003cp>San Francisco’s teachers union overwhelmingly voted to ratify its \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073441/san-franciscos-teachers-strike-has-ended-what-comes-next\">new two-year contract\u003c/a> on Friday, two weeks after the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073306/sfusd-teachers-strike-no-end-in-sight-health-care-battle\">tentative deal ended a four-day strike\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>United Educators of San Francisco, which represents 6,000 teachers, classroom aides, counselors, social workers and other staff, voted 92% in favor of the $183 million deal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The contract includes a commitment from the district to fully fund family health care beginning next year and boosts wages for some of the district’s lowest-paid workers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“San Francisco educators have overwhelmingly approved the contract that we know will help stabilize our schools and our communities,” union President Cassondra Curiel said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is a historic win. It’s a win for our members … it’s a win for our school district and broadly for public educators throughout the Bay Area and California.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073227\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12073227\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260211-SFUSDSTRIKEOCEANBEACH-05-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260211-SFUSDSTRIKEOCEANBEACH-05-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260211-SFUSDSTRIKEOCEANBEACH-05-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260211-SFUSDSTRIKEOCEANBEACH-05-BL-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Striking San Francisco Unified School District employees form the words “For Our Students Strike” at Ocean Beach in San Francisco on Feb. 11, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The vote comes as some other Bay Area districts narrowly avoid their own work stoppages. Early Friday, the Oakland Unified School District \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12074794/oakland-schools-teachers-union-reach-deal-avert-strike\">reached a tentative agreement\u003c/a> with its teachers union to avert a looming strike, and Berkeley also secured a deal earlier this week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re really happy, proud of them and looking forward to hearing about many more districts doing the right thing and making sure that our schools are fully funded,” Curiel said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Under the new deal, SFUSD will begin to cover the full cost of health care premiums for educators with dependents. Union leaders have said that previously cost members up to $1,500 per month.[aside postID=news_12074197 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260210-SFUSDStrikeDay2-47-BL_qed.jpg']The contract also grants an 8.5% wage increase over two years to security guards and paraeducators, who work as classroom aides. Teachers and other credentialed staff, including social workers and counselors, will see 5% raises in that time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12074197/sfusd-teachers-got-a-big-contract-deal-not-all-are-happy-with-it\">isn’t without pushback\u003c/a> from some members, including a group of Independence High School teachers, who urged fellow educators to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kalw.org/bay-area-news/2026-02-19/why-these-san-francisco-educators-are-voting-no-on-the-tentative-agreement\">vote against ratification\u003c/a>, citing a lack of concrete special education reforms and lower raises for credentialed staff than the union had proposed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The 5% increase they’ll get over the next two years fails to keep up with the federal cost-of-living adjustment for 2026.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After the deal, the district has also warned that it will add another burden onto its already thin budget. SFUSD is looking to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12067247/as-teacher-strike-looms-san-franciscos-school-board-set-to-review-proposed-funding-cuts\">cut $100 million in ongoing expenses\u003c/a> this spring, not considering the additional costs of the labor deal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This week, the school board approved dozens of layoffs, and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073441/san-franciscos-teachers-strike-has-ended-what-comes-next\">more reductions are expected\u003c/a> in the coming months. Superintendent Maria Su has said workforce reductions and possible school closures are “on the table.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12037008\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12037008\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250421-SFUSDCentralCuts-11-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250421-SFUSDCentralCuts-11-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250421-SFUSDCentralCuts-11-BL_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250421-SFUSDCentralCuts-11-BL_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250421-SFUSDCentralCuts-11-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250421-SFUSDCentralCuts-11-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250421-SFUSDCentralCuts-11-BL_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\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>“We stretched our resources to the limit to get this agreement done,” she said after signing the tentative agreement. “We still have a long way ahead of us where difficult choices remain. So while we have a deal today, we still need more support in the future.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the union has said the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073219/san-francisco-teachers-strike-day-3-citys-schools-stay-closed-as-negotiations-drag-on\">district’s narrative about its budget is untrue\u003c/a>, accusing officials of manufacturing a crisis while building up a significant reserve fund.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Curiel said Friday that the city’s strong support for striking teachers shows that “our community members support our public schools being as best as they can be.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That puts us in stark conflict with any initiatives that attempt from any direction to cut positions, to cut programs from schools, to eliminate schools,” she said. “We and our many, many supporters … are ready to step up to the plate and to fight for the schools our students deserve.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The contract still needs to be approved by SFUSD’s school board before it becomes final.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "United Educators of San Francisco, which represents 6,000 teachers, classroom aides, counselors, social workers and other staff, voted 92% in favor of the $183 million deal.",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1772237719,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 19,
"wordCount": 704
},
"headData": {
"title": "SFUSD Teachers Union Overwhelmingly Approves Contract Deal | KQED",
"description": "United Educators of San Francisco, which represents 6,000 teachers, classroom aides, counselors, social workers and other staff, voted 92% in favor of the $183 million deal.",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "NewsArticle",
"headline": "SFUSD Teachers Union Overwhelmingly Approves Contract Deal",
"datePublished": "2026-02-27T14:56:03-08:00",
"dateModified": "2026-02-27T16:15:19-08:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"isAccessibleForFree": "True",
"publisher": {
"@type": "NewsMediaOrganization",
"@id": "https://www.kqed.org/#organization",
"name": "KQED",
"logo": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"url": "https://www.kqed.org",
"sameAs": [
"https://www.facebook.com/KQED",
"https://twitter.com/KQED",
"https://www.instagram.com/kqed/",
"https://www.tiktok.com/@kqedofficial",
"https://www.linkedin.com/company/kqed",
"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeC0IOo7i1P_61zVUWbJ4nw"
]
}
}
},
"primaryCategory": {
"termId": 18540,
"slug": "education",
"name": "Education"
},
"sticky": false,
"nprStoryId": "kqed-12074913",
"templateType": "standard",
"featuredImageType": "standard",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/news/12074913/sfusd-teachers-union-overwhelmingly-approves-contract-deal",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>San Francisco’s teachers union overwhelmingly voted to ratify its \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073441/san-franciscos-teachers-strike-has-ended-what-comes-next\">new two-year contract\u003c/a> on Friday, two weeks after the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073306/sfusd-teachers-strike-no-end-in-sight-health-care-battle\">tentative deal ended a four-day strike\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>United Educators of San Francisco, which represents 6,000 teachers, classroom aides, counselors, social workers and other staff, voted 92% in favor of the $183 million deal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The contract includes a commitment from the district to fully fund family health care beginning next year and boosts wages for some of the district’s lowest-paid workers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“San Francisco educators have overwhelmingly approved the contract that we know will help stabilize our schools and our communities,” union President Cassondra Curiel said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is a historic win. It’s a win for our members … it’s a win for our school district and broadly for public educators throughout the Bay Area and California.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073227\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12073227\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260211-SFUSDSTRIKEOCEANBEACH-05-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260211-SFUSDSTRIKEOCEANBEACH-05-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260211-SFUSDSTRIKEOCEANBEACH-05-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260211-SFUSDSTRIKEOCEANBEACH-05-BL-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Striking San Francisco Unified School District employees form the words “For Our Students Strike” at Ocean Beach in San Francisco on Feb. 11, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The vote comes as some other Bay Area districts narrowly avoid their own work stoppages. Early Friday, the Oakland Unified School District \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12074794/oakland-schools-teachers-union-reach-deal-avert-strike\">reached a tentative agreement\u003c/a> with its teachers union to avert a looming strike, and Berkeley also secured a deal earlier this week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re really happy, proud of them and looking forward to hearing about many more districts doing the right thing and making sure that our schools are fully funded,” Curiel said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Under the new deal, SFUSD will begin to cover the full cost of health care premiums for educators with dependents. Union leaders have said that previously cost members up to $1,500 per month.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"postid": "news_12074197",
"hero": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260210-SFUSDStrikeDay2-47-BL_qed.jpg",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>The contract also grants an 8.5% wage increase over two years to security guards and paraeducators, who work as classroom aides. Teachers and other credentialed staff, including social workers and counselors, will see 5% raises in that time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12074197/sfusd-teachers-got-a-big-contract-deal-not-all-are-happy-with-it\">isn’t without pushback\u003c/a> from some members, including a group of Independence High School teachers, who urged fellow educators to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kalw.org/bay-area-news/2026-02-19/why-these-san-francisco-educators-are-voting-no-on-the-tentative-agreement\">vote against ratification\u003c/a>, citing a lack of concrete special education reforms and lower raises for credentialed staff than the union had proposed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The 5% increase they’ll get over the next two years fails to keep up with the federal cost-of-living adjustment for 2026.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After the deal, the district has also warned that it will add another burden onto its already thin budget. SFUSD is looking to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12067247/as-teacher-strike-looms-san-franciscos-school-board-set-to-review-proposed-funding-cuts\">cut $100 million in ongoing expenses\u003c/a> this spring, not considering the additional costs of the labor deal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This week, the school board approved dozens of layoffs, and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073441/san-franciscos-teachers-strike-has-ended-what-comes-next\">more reductions are expected\u003c/a> in the coming months. Superintendent Maria Su has said workforce reductions and possible school closures are “on the table.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12037008\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12037008\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250421-SFUSDCentralCuts-11-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250421-SFUSDCentralCuts-11-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250421-SFUSDCentralCuts-11-BL_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250421-SFUSDCentralCuts-11-BL_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250421-SFUSDCentralCuts-11-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250421-SFUSDCentralCuts-11-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250421-SFUSDCentralCuts-11-BL_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\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>“We stretched our resources to the limit to get this agreement done,” she said after signing the tentative agreement. “We still have a long way ahead of us where difficult choices remain. So while we have a deal today, we still need more support in the future.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the union has said the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073219/san-francisco-teachers-strike-day-3-citys-schools-stay-closed-as-negotiations-drag-on\">district’s narrative about its budget is untrue\u003c/a>, accusing officials of manufacturing a crisis while building up a significant reserve fund.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Curiel said Friday that the city’s strong support for striking teachers shows that “our community members support our public schools being as best as they can be.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That puts us in stark conflict with any initiatives that attempt from any direction to cut positions, to cut programs from schools, to eliminate schools,” she said. “We and our many, many supporters … are ready to step up to the plate and to fight for the schools our students deserve.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The contract still needs to be approved by SFUSD’s school board before it becomes final.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/news/12074913/sfusd-teachers-union-overwhelmingly-approves-contract-deal",
"authors": [
"11913"
],
"categories": [
"news_18540",
"news_34551",
"news_28250",
"news_8"
],
"tags": [
"news_20013",
"news_19904",
"news_38",
"news_30812",
"news_33375",
"news_3946",
"news_1290",
"news_30789"
],
"featImg": "news_12074205",
"label": "news"
},
"news_12074794": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "news_12074794",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12074794",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1772206234000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "oakland-schools-teachers-union-reach-deal-avert-strike",
"title": "Oakland Schools, Teachers Union Reach Deal, Avert Strike",
"publishDate": 1772206234,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "Oakland Schools, Teachers Union Reach Deal, Avert Strike | KQED",
"labelTerm": {
"site": "news"
},
"content": "\u003cp>Oakland’s public school district and teachers union reached an early morning deal Friday, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12074272/oakland-teachers-approve-a-strike-as-report-calls-districts-pay-not-competitive\">averting a strike\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The new two-year deal includes significant raises for teachers that the union says will attract educators and address high turnover rates in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/oakland-unified-school-district\">Oakland schools\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“By forcing OUSD to invest in creating stability in our classrooms and schools we are making a historic investment in the future of Oakland” said union President, Kampala Taiz-Rancifer. “This contract reflects a newfound commitment by the [Oakland Unified School District] Superintendent and School Board to prioritize resources toward classrooms.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The deal, reached after an 18 hour bargaining session extended into the early morning Friday, marks the first time in three contract cycles that the parties have agreed to a contract without a strike.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It comes after nearly a year of contract negotiations and months in mediation without a new contract. Last week, the Oakland Education Association, which represents about 3,000 teachers, nurses, social workers and other credentialed staff, voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike, following neighboring districts like \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073306/sfusd-teachers-strike-no-end-in-sight-health-care-battle\">San Francisco\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12066588/west-contra-costa-teachers-agree-to-end-strike-and-return-to-class-after-a-week\">West Contra Costa\u003c/a>, where teachers took to the picket lines in February and December before securing new contracts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12056738\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12056738\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/007_KQED_OUSDSolidaritySchool_05112023_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/007_KQED_OUSDSolidaritySchool_05112023_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/007_KQED_OUSDSolidaritySchool_05112023_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/007_KQED_OUSDSolidaritySchool_05112023_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Oakland Unified students and parents make signs to support teachers at a ‘solidarity school’ in Diamond Park, Oakland, on May 11, 2023. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“By averting a strike and reaching this agreement, OUSD and the Oakland Education Association have forged a new path forward — one built on cooperation and a shared commitment to our children,” Mayor Barbara Lee said in a statement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“While there is still work ahead, I am proud of what was achieved today. Our students deserve teachers who are supported, valued, and have everything they need to teach — and this agreement moves us closer to that promise,” she continued.[aside postID=news_12074650 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/DSC7276_qed-1020x680.jpg']The union was demanding higher wages, saying its educators are among the lowest paid in the Bay Area, leading to high turnover rates and understaffing in schools.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the school district has maintained it is unable to meet those demands as it grapples with a more than \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12064579/oaklands-school-district-must-cut-100-million-its-proposed-plan-doesnt-get-close\">$100 million budget deficit\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Initially, the union proposed 14% raises over two years, while the district offered no pay bump. As the threat of a strike escalated, the district raised its offer to an 8% salary increase by 2027 earlier this month.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The new contract includes 11% to 13% raises for teachers by 2027, with additional salary enhancements for special education and early education teachers, as well as social workers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It also includes changes to improve working conditions for special education employees and nurses, and smaller student-to-counselor ratios for counselors, among other things.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wages have also been the major sticking point in recent OUSD contract disputes, as teachers say their pay fails to keep up with neighboring districts. In 2023, OEA held a weeklong strike that ended after teachers won a 15.5% raise over two and a half years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12041367\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12041367\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/20250423_OUSDSupe_GC-18_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1316\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/20250423_OUSDSupe_GC-18_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/20250423_OUSDSupe_GC-18_qed-800x526.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/20250423_OUSDSupe_GC-18_qed-1020x671.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/20250423_OUSDSupe_GC-18_qed-160x105.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/20250423_OUSDSupe_GC-18_qed-1536x1011.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/20250423_OUSDSupe_GC-18_qed-1920x1263.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Oakland Unified School District board president, Jennifer Brouhard, speaks during a meeting at Metwest High School in Oakland on April 23, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>According to the union’s analysis, OUSD teachers are the lowest paid among 10 Bay Area districts, and OEA president Kampala Taiz-Rancifer told KQED that about 60% of district teachers can’t afford to live in Oakland. That analysis was affirmed by a neutral mediator earlier this month.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Retaining teachers has been a major goal of the board for a number of years,” school board President Jennifer Brouhard told KQED.[aside postID=news_12071551 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250428-OUSD-OFFICE-FILE-MD-01-KQED-1020x680.jpg']“The board has given that direction to do that, and we’re beginning to see that work happen. I think from the district standpoint, they also realized that we have to retain our educators. It’s very expensive, both in terms of student outcome and in terms of cost, to have the turnover that we have had.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Implementing the new deal will also be expensive. OUSD has estimated that 11% raises will cost more than $55 million alone.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Brouhard said it will be up to district leaders to do so in a way that doesn’t harm students or jeopardize the district’s fiscal status. Last summer, it just regained local control after 20 years in state receivership. Without factoring in the price of the new deal, OUSD is eyeing $102 million in cuts by June.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Interim Superintendent Denise Saddler told the school board this week that without those reductions, “we won’t be able to pay all the people on our payroll in the fall. We don’t have the money in the budget for next year.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Wednesday, OUSD approved cutting nearly 400 staff positions, including 180 filled by OEA members, through early retirement buyouts, elimination of vacant positions, and layoffs. Altogether, that is estimated to save about $11 million annually.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12056737\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12056737\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/20250423_OUSDSupe_GC-2_qed-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/20250423_OUSDSupe_GC-2_qed-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/20250423_OUSDSupe_GC-2_qed-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/20250423_OUSDSupe_GC-2_qed-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Oakland Unified School District parents, students and community leaders, rally in support of improved schools, ahead of an OUSD board meeting at Metwest High School in Oakland on April 23, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Saddler said that the district’s finance team has identified about $65 million in cuts so far in total.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s not yet clear if all of those proposals, which include increasing enrollment to recoup some funds and major changes to special education services, are feasible, though. And the union is also expected to fight this week’s preliminarily layoff notices.\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"mceTemp\">\u003c/div>\n\u003cp>“We know our collective power brought us here, and we know our collective power will continue to move OUSD to ensure all our schools are fully staffed by rescinding preliminary layoffs as well,” Taiz-Rancifer said in a statement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The deal still needs to be ratified by OEA’s membership, and approved by the school board, before it is finalized.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "Oakland Unified School District and the Oakland Education Association reached a late-night contract agreement that averts a teacher strike and includes 11% to 13% raises over two years amid a $100 million budget deficit.",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1772231367,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 24,
"wordCount": 1028
},
"headData": {
"title": "Oakland Schools, Teachers Union Reach Deal, Avert Strike | KQED",
"description": "Oakland Unified School District and the Oakland Education Association reached a late-night contract agreement that averts a teacher strike and includes 11% to 13% raises over two years amid a $100 million budget deficit.",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "NewsArticle",
"headline": "Oakland Schools, Teachers Union Reach Deal, Avert Strike",
"datePublished": "2026-02-27T07:30:34-08:00",
"dateModified": "2026-02-27T14:29:27-08:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"isAccessibleForFree": "True",
"publisher": {
"@type": "NewsMediaOrganization",
"@id": "https://www.kqed.org/#organization",
"name": "KQED",
"logo": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"url": "https://www.kqed.org",
"sameAs": [
"https://www.facebook.com/KQED",
"https://twitter.com/KQED",
"https://www.instagram.com/kqed/",
"https://www.tiktok.com/@kqedofficial",
"https://www.linkedin.com/company/kqed",
"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeC0IOo7i1P_61zVUWbJ4nw"
]
}
}
},
"primaryCategory": {
"termId": 18540,
"slug": "education",
"name": "Education"
},
"sticky": false,
"nprStoryId": "kqed-12074794",
"templateType": "standard",
"featuredImageType": "standard",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/news/12074794/oakland-schools-teachers-union-reach-deal-avert-strike",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Oakland’s public school district and teachers union reached an early morning deal Friday, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12074272/oakland-teachers-approve-a-strike-as-report-calls-districts-pay-not-competitive\">averting a strike\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The new two-year deal includes significant raises for teachers that the union says will attract educators and address high turnover rates in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/oakland-unified-school-district\">Oakland schools\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“By forcing OUSD to invest in creating stability in our classrooms and schools we are making a historic investment in the future of Oakland” said union President, Kampala Taiz-Rancifer. “This contract reflects a newfound commitment by the [Oakland Unified School District] Superintendent and School Board to prioritize resources toward classrooms.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The deal, reached after an 18 hour bargaining session extended into the early morning Friday, marks the first time in three contract cycles that the parties have agreed to a contract without a strike.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It comes after nearly a year of contract negotiations and months in mediation without a new contract. Last week, the Oakland Education Association, which represents about 3,000 teachers, nurses, social workers and other credentialed staff, voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike, following neighboring districts like \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073306/sfusd-teachers-strike-no-end-in-sight-health-care-battle\">San Francisco\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12066588/west-contra-costa-teachers-agree-to-end-strike-and-return-to-class-after-a-week\">West Contra Costa\u003c/a>, where teachers took to the picket lines in February and December before securing new contracts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12056738\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12056738\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/007_KQED_OUSDSolidaritySchool_05112023_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/007_KQED_OUSDSolidaritySchool_05112023_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/007_KQED_OUSDSolidaritySchool_05112023_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/007_KQED_OUSDSolidaritySchool_05112023_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Oakland Unified students and parents make signs to support teachers at a ‘solidarity school’ in Diamond Park, Oakland, on May 11, 2023. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“By averting a strike and reaching this agreement, OUSD and the Oakland Education Association have forged a new path forward — one built on cooperation and a shared commitment to our children,” Mayor Barbara Lee said in a statement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“While there is still work ahead, I am proud of what was achieved today. Our students deserve teachers who are supported, valued, and have everything they need to teach — and this agreement moves us closer to that promise,” she continued.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"postid": "news_12074650",
"hero": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/DSC7276_qed-1020x680.jpg",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>The union was demanding higher wages, saying its educators are among the lowest paid in the Bay Area, leading to high turnover rates and understaffing in schools.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the school district has maintained it is unable to meet those demands as it grapples with a more than \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12064579/oaklands-school-district-must-cut-100-million-its-proposed-plan-doesnt-get-close\">$100 million budget deficit\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Initially, the union proposed 14% raises over two years, while the district offered no pay bump. As the threat of a strike escalated, the district raised its offer to an 8% salary increase by 2027 earlier this month.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The new contract includes 11% to 13% raises for teachers by 2027, with additional salary enhancements for special education and early education teachers, as well as social workers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It also includes changes to improve working conditions for special education employees and nurses, and smaller student-to-counselor ratios for counselors, among other things.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wages have also been the major sticking point in recent OUSD contract disputes, as teachers say their pay fails to keep up with neighboring districts. In 2023, OEA held a weeklong strike that ended after teachers won a 15.5% raise over two and a half years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12041367\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12041367\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/20250423_OUSDSupe_GC-18_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1316\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/20250423_OUSDSupe_GC-18_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/20250423_OUSDSupe_GC-18_qed-800x526.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/20250423_OUSDSupe_GC-18_qed-1020x671.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/20250423_OUSDSupe_GC-18_qed-160x105.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/20250423_OUSDSupe_GC-18_qed-1536x1011.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/05/20250423_OUSDSupe_GC-18_qed-1920x1263.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Oakland Unified School District board president, Jennifer Brouhard, speaks during a meeting at Metwest High School in Oakland on April 23, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>According to the union’s analysis, OUSD teachers are the lowest paid among 10 Bay Area districts, and OEA president Kampala Taiz-Rancifer told KQED that about 60% of district teachers can’t afford to live in Oakland. That analysis was affirmed by a neutral mediator earlier this month.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Retaining teachers has been a major goal of the board for a number of years,” school board President Jennifer Brouhard told KQED.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"postid": "news_12071551",
"hero": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250428-OUSD-OFFICE-FILE-MD-01-KQED-1020x680.jpg",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“The board has given that direction to do that, and we’re beginning to see that work happen. I think from the district standpoint, they also realized that we have to retain our educators. It’s very expensive, both in terms of student outcome and in terms of cost, to have the turnover that we have had.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Implementing the new deal will also be expensive. OUSD has estimated that 11% raises will cost more than $55 million alone.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Brouhard said it will be up to district leaders to do so in a way that doesn’t harm students or jeopardize the district’s fiscal status. Last summer, it just regained local control after 20 years in state receivership. Without factoring in the price of the new deal, OUSD is eyeing $102 million in cuts by June.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Interim Superintendent Denise Saddler told the school board this week that without those reductions, “we won’t be able to pay all the people on our payroll in the fall. We don’t have the money in the budget for next year.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Wednesday, OUSD approved cutting nearly 400 staff positions, including 180 filled by OEA members, through early retirement buyouts, elimination of vacant positions, and layoffs. Altogether, that is estimated to save about $11 million annually.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12056737\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12056737\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/20250423_OUSDSupe_GC-2_qed-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/20250423_OUSDSupe_GC-2_qed-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/20250423_OUSDSupe_GC-2_qed-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/20250423_OUSDSupe_GC-2_qed-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Oakland Unified School District parents, students and community leaders, rally in support of improved schools, ahead of an OUSD board meeting at Metwest High School in Oakland on April 23, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Saddler said that the district’s finance team has identified about $65 million in cuts so far in total.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s not yet clear if all of those proposals, which include increasing enrollment to recoup some funds and major changes to special education services, are feasible, though. And the union is also expected to fight this week’s preliminarily layoff notices.\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv class=\"mceTemp\">\u003c/div>\n\u003cp>“We know our collective power brought us here, and we know our collective power will continue to move OUSD to ensure all our schools are fully staffed by rescinding preliminary layoffs as well,” Taiz-Rancifer said in a statement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The deal still needs to be ratified by OEA’s membership, and approved by the school board, before it is finalized.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/news/12074794/oakland-schools-teachers-union-reach-deal-avert-strike",
"authors": [
"11913"
],
"categories": [
"news_18540",
"news_34551",
"news_28250",
"news_8"
],
"tags": [
"news_18352",
"news_20013",
"news_19904",
"news_24590",
"news_34054",
"news_2432",
"news_1826",
"news_3366",
"news_24807"
],
"featImg": "news_11948331",
"label": "news"
},
"news_12074650": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "news_12074650",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12074650",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1772148794000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "2026-oakland-teachers-strike-ousd-when-oea-union-alameda-county",
"title": "Potential Oakland Teachers Strike: What Should Families Know?",
"publishDate": 1772148794,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "Potential Oakland Teachers Strike: What Should Families Know? | KQED",
"labelTerm": {
"site": "news"
},
"content": "\u003cp>Weeks after \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12074197/sfusd-teachers-got-a-big-contract-deal-not-all-are-happy-with-it\">San Francisco educators \u003c/a>wrapped up a four-day strike that shuttered schools and left many families across the city scrambling for child care, Oakland teachers are gearing up for a possible labor battle of their own.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Late last week, the Oakland Education Association — the union representing nearly 3,000 teachers, social workers, counselors and other staff across the Oakland Unified School District — voted to authorize a strike. The threat comes after nearly \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12074272/oakland-teachers-approve-a-strike-as-report-calls-districts-pay-not-competitive\">a year of labor negotiations\u003c/a> between the union and the school district without a contract deal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Unlike San Francisco’s teachers strike, which was \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12071181/san-francisco-teachers-union-moves-closer-to-a-historic-strike-first-in-more-than-50-years\">the city’s first in almost half a century\u003c/a>, Oakland teachers \u003cem>have \u003c/em>taken to the picket lines in recent years. During contract negotiations in 2019 and 2023, OUSD educators held strikes that each lasted about a week and ended after the district offered wage increases to staff.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Despite those raises, the parties’ major sticking point again revolves around pay. OUSD’s teachers are among the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12071181/san-francisco-teachers-union-moves-closer-to-a-historic-strike-first-in-more-than-50-years\">lowest paid in the Bay Area\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Jump straight to: \u003ca href=\"#WhensthesoonestanOaklandteachersstrikecouldtakeplace\">When’s the soonest an Oakland teachers strike could take place?\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>While Oakland families might have gained more familiarity in navigating teacher strikes in the last few years, the challenges of keeping up with rapid back-and-forth negotiations between the union and district — and to find access to food, child care and instructional resources for kids whose schools could be impacted — are the same.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Keep reading for what we know about a possible Oakland teachers strike.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Is an OUSD strike definitely happening?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Not yet. But while no OUSD strike has been called, it could be announced at any time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last Friday, teachers gave their OEA union permission to call a work stoppage, and they have completed the legally mandated mediation process.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12043210\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12043210\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250428-OUSD-OFFICE-FILE-MD-04_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250428-OUSD-OFFICE-FILE-MD-04_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250428-OUSD-OFFICE-FILE-MD-04_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250428-OUSD-OFFICE-FILE-MD-04_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Oakland Unified School District Offices in Oakland on April 28, 2025. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The union has said it’s still open to negotiating with the school district to avoid a strike, though, and the two sides have another bargaining session on the books for Thursday evening.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But OEA representatives have said the union will need real movement from the district on wages to come to any agreement.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>What does the Oakland teachers union want, and what’s the latest?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>OUSD and OEA have been negotiating a new contract since last March.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While the two sides have reached some tentative agreements on smaller proposals, they’ve made little progress on wage increases. Like districts across the state, OUSD is facing enrollment decline, and said its spending is outpacing its revenue.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the union said its teachers are paid too little to live in Oakland, and that low wages are contributing to high teacher turnover rates in the district.[aside postID=news_12074272 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/012_KQED_OaklandTeacherStrike_04292022_qed-1536x1024.jpg']The union has demanded a raise between 12% and 14% over two years. In reply, OUSD has proposed raises that would equal 8% by 2027.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last week, a neutral mediator, who was appointed to collect financial information and hear arguments of both sides, issued a recommendation that falls somewhere in the middle: a 6% raise over two years, plus an additional 3% to 4% raise in 2027. The mediator also suggested an extra 2% bump for special education teachers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The mediator’s full report, known as a “fact-finding report,” was released last week and marked the final step in mediation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since then, the parties met to bargain on Monday and are expected to return to the table on Thursday afternoon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Tuesday night, the district’s school board held a closed-door meeting to discuss the negotiations, but didn’t take any new actions.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>What’s going on with Oakland’s budget? And what does it have to do with a strike?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Oakland’s school district is in the midst of making major budget cuts, which have become \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12023461/ousd-on-track-run-out-of-cash-after-avoiding-hard-decisions-scathing-letter-says\">routine\u003c/a> in recent years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12043062/as-ousd-gets-closer-to-controlling-its-finances-new-budget-challenges-loom\">Last summer\u003c/a>, the district regained full local financial control 20 years after it declared bankruptcy in 2003. But without cuts, interim Superintendent Denise Saddler told the school board this week, OUSD won’t be able to right a $102 million budget deficit projected next year and could risk again needing state assistance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Wednesday, the district approved a plan to eliminate almost 400 staff positions through a combination of layoffs, early retirement buyouts and eliminations of roles that are currently vacant. Those cuts will save about $11 million, according to district fiscal advisors. The district is also eyeing plans to reduce schools’ individual budgets, and a lofty proposal to significantly increase the special education services it offers in district schools.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12019083\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12019083\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/21_240517-TKBilingualLearners-80-BL-scaled-e1772135571879.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Transitional kindergarten students play outside during recess at the International Community School in Oakland on May 17, 2024. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>So far, it’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12064579/oaklands-school-district-must-cut-100-million-its-proposed-plan-doesnt-get-close\">identified about $65\u003c/a> million in cuts it could make, and is still aiming to identify another $35 million before its budget is due in June. That total dollar amount doesn’t factor in any additional costs associated with a new contract with OEA.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Across \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073310/if-sfusd-teachers-get-their-way-district-suggests-more-cuts-could-be-on-the-table\">other Bay Area school districts\u003c/a>, rocked by strikes in recent weeks, officials have indicated that spending more on teachers’ contracts could force districts to make deeper cuts during budget planning.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In San Francisco, the deal that educators and the district struck earlier this month increased the district’s expenditures by more than $180 million for two years, and could lead to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073441/san-franciscos-teachers-strike-has-ended-what-comes-next\">additional cuts or layoffs\u003c/a>, according to school leaders there. West Contra Costa County, which also just approved a new labor contract after a four-day strike in December, passed a plan that will \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073310/if-sfusd-teachers-get-their-way-district-suggests-more-cuts-could-be-on-the-table\">slash 10% of its workforce\u003c/a> at the end of the school year.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"WhensthesoonestanOaklandteachersstrikecouldtakeplace\">\u003c/a>When’s the soonest an Oakland teachers strike could take place?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Since mediation has wrapped up, and the union has authorized a walkout, the call for an Oakland teachers strike could come at any time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>OEA has to give the district 48 hours’ notice before taking to picket lines, so the earliest a strike would likely interrupt schools is Monday.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Has this kind of strike ever happened before in Oakland?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Yes. Oakland’s OEA union held similar strikes in both 2019 and 2023.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://edsource.org/2019/tentative-agreement-reached-in-oakland-unified-teachers-strike/609342\">In 2019\u003c/a>, the walkout came after Oakland teachers had been working under an expired deal for nearly two years. Lasting a week, the strike ended with a four-year contract that included raises, along with commitments to decrease class sizes and put a monthslong moratorium on school closures.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12042892\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12042892 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/20241211-OUSDMergerVote-JY-026_qed-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/20241211-OUSDMergerVote-JY-026_qed-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/20241211-OUSDMergerVote-JY-026_qed-1-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/20241211-OUSDMergerVote-JY-026_qed-1-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/20241211-OUSDMergerVote-JY-026_qed-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/20241211-OUSDMergerVote-JY-026_qed-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/20241211-OUSDMergerVote-JY-026_qed-1-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Oakland Unified School District Board listens to public comment during a meeting at La Escuelita Elementary School in Oakland, California, on Dec. 11, 2024. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>OUSD operates more small campuses compared to similarly sized districts, and for years has gone back and forth on plans to shutter some schools, often \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12017719/oaklands-school-merger-plan-stalled-districts-huge-deficit-remains\">reneging on plans\u003c/a> after community pushback.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Oakland educators again \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11949458/oakland-teachers-strike-ends-as-union-reaches-agreement-with-school-district\">walked out for about a week in 2023\u003c/a>, after another monthslong negotiation cycle.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>What happens during a teachers strike? Will Oakland schools close?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>While San Francisco schools closed earlier this month, Oakland’s could remain open during a walkout.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During the 2023 strike, students who attended school were supervised by principals and central office staff. But little instruction actually occurred, and attendance dropped as low as 4%, according to \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2023/05/25/ousds-annual-attendance-fell-4-as-a-result-of-the-teachers-strike/\">\u003cem>The Oaklandside\u003c/em>\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Where can I take my kids if Oakland schools are closed?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Some institutions are preparing to extend their services if the strike is on. The City of Oakland’s Office of Parks, Recreation & Youth Development opened five centers “in the event of an Oakland Unified School District teacher strike.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The following spots in Oakland will be open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.oaklandca.gov/Community/Parks-Facilities/Recreation-Centers/Allendale-Recreation-Center\">Allendale Recreation Center\u003c/a>: 3711 Suter St.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.oaklandca.gov/Community/Parks-Facilities/Recreation-Centers/Bushrod-Recreation-Center\">Bushrod Recreation Center\u003c/a>: 560 59th St.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.oaklandca.gov/Community/Parks-Facilities/Recreation-Centers/Carmen-Flores-Recreation-Center\">Carmen Flores Recreation Center\u003c/a>: 1637 Fruitvale Ave.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.oaklandca.gov/Community/Parks-Facilities/Recreation-Centers/Ira-Jinkins-Recreation-Center\">Ira Jinkins Recreation Center\u003c/a>: 9175 Edes Ave.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.oaklandca.gov/Community/Parks-Facilities/Recreation-Centers/Lincoln-Square-Park-and-Recreation-Center\">Lincoln Square Park and Recreation Center\u003c/a>: 261 11th St.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>In an email, the representative from the city said “services will be free,” and there will be snacks and meals provided.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some museums and cultural institutions may also respond to the strike by providing deals for impacted families, but some \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073183/sfusd-san-francisco-teachers-strike-museums-free-tickets-discounts-sf-library\">local museums already have discounts\u003c/a> for young people. For example, the Oakland Museum of California has \u003ca href=\"https://tickets.museumca.org/orders/492/calendar?eventId=63c714fc8e3603283bf30b0e&cart&_gl=1*4ss7il*_gcl_au*MjI5OTA4Nzc1LjE3NzIxNDc4Njg.*_ga*MTY1NTg5NDE1MS4xNzcyMTQ3ODY3*_ga_VHQH9B37EL*czE3NzIxNDc4NjQkbzEkZzEkdDE3NzIxNDc5NzUkajQ5JGwwJGgw*_ga_GVDBGVJYSC*czE3NzIxNDc4NjQkbzEkZzEkdDE3NzIxNDc5NzYkajQ4JGwwJGgw\">free admission for young people 12 and under\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>What does ‘crossing a picket line’ actually mean?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Families sending students to school during a strike\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During the SFUSD strike earlier this month, \u003ca href=\"https://wecantwait.info/parents/uesf\">the California Teachers Union \u003c/a>said that as a parent or guardian, “you’ll have to decide if you want your child in this environment” of a school that’s in the middle of a strike.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“A strike is most powerful when students do not attend school, because this puts financial pressure on the district to negotiate with educators or lose more money from the state,” the statewide union’s \u003ca href=\"https://wecantwait.info/parents/uesf\">guidance\u003c/a> for SFUSD families read. CTA has not yet issued specific guidance for OUSD families.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11949102\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11949102\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/RS65200_05092023_oaklandstrikepresser-214-qut.jpg\" alt=\"Teachers march in front of a school, holding protest signs.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1277\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/RS65200_05092023_oaklandstrikepresser-214-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/RS65200_05092023_oaklandstrikepresser-214-qut-800x532.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/RS65200_05092023_oaklandstrikepresser-214-qut-1020x678.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/RS65200_05092023_oaklandstrikepresser-214-qut-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/RS65200_05092023_oaklandstrikepresser-214-qut-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Oakland teachers, students and supporters march on a picket line in front of Melrose Leadership Academy on May 9, 2023. \u003ccite>(Kori Suzuki/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Volunteers teaching in schools during a strike in the absence of teachers\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The National PTA’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.pta.org/home/advocacy/ptas-positions/Individual-Position-Statements/Position-Statement-Teacher-Negotiations-Sanctions-and-Strikes\">guidance\u003c/a> to local branches also states that “PTA should not man the classrooms” unless “possibly for a day in the absence of advance notice of a strike.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Not only is manning of classrooms inconsistent with PTA efforts to obtain a qualified teacher in every classroom, but personal liability may be incurred,” the notice reads. “If the school administration intends to keep the schools open during a teacher walkout, it should develop a corps of volunteers outside the PTA structure.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>What about families who rely on free meals at school?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Many families may rely on schools to provide no-cost meals during weekdays.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During the SFUSD strike, the district and the mayor’s office organized several pick-up locations throughout for breakfasts and lunches — and OUSD may do the same. KQED has asked the district for details of any resources it plans to offer families in the event of a strike.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12035840\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12035840\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/061121_SummerSchool_AW_CM_06.jpg\" alt=\"The bottom half of several children on a concrete playground with yellow chalk outlining numbers and letters is shown.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/061121_SummerSchool_AW_CM_06.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/061121_SummerSchool_AW_CM_06-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/061121_SummerSchool_AW_CM_06-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/061121_SummerSchool_AW_CM_06-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/061121_SummerSchool_AW_CM_06-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/061121_SummerSchool_AW_CM_06-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Rising first graders walk to their classroom at the start of the day during summer session at Laurel Elementary in Oakland on June 11, 2021. \u003ccite>(Anne Wernikoff/CalMatters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>KQED has a thorough guide on how to find \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12061440/calfresh-snap-ebt-shutdown-find-food-banks-near-me-san-francisco-bay-area-alameda-oakland-contra-costa-newsom-national-guard\">food pantries\u003c/a> in the Bay Area, including Alameda County resources like:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>The California Association of Food Banks\u003ca href=\"https://www.cafoodbanks.org/our-members/\">’ online tool\u003c/a>, which lists all the major food banks in the state\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>The \u003ca href=\"https://211ca.org/\">state’s 211 \u003c/a>hotline\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.foodnow.net/find-a-food-pantry/\">Alameda County Community Food Bank\u003c/a> tool can locate \u003ca href=\"https://www.foodnow.net/find-a-food-pantry/\">food resources\u003c/a> in the area. You can also call 510-635-3663 for any emergencies\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.alamedafoodbank.org/get-food/\">Alameda Food Bank\u003c/a> at 677 W. Ranger Ave. in Alameda\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>A map of \u003ca href=\"https://www.acgov.org/maps/food-services.htm\">food services and distribution\u003c/a> locations in Alameda County\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "Oakland Unified School District educators voted to authorize a strike last week, following a year of labor negotiations with no deal.",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1772219737,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 46,
"wordCount": 1852
},
"headData": {
"title": "Potential Oakland Teachers Strike: What Should Families Know? | KQED",
"description": "Oakland Unified School District educators voted to authorize a strike last week, following a year of labor negotiations with no deal.",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "NewsArticle",
"headline": "Potential Oakland Teachers Strike: What Should Families Know?",
"datePublished": "2026-02-26T15:33:14-08:00",
"dateModified": "2026-02-27T11:15:37-08:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"isAccessibleForFree": "True",
"publisher": {
"@type": "NewsMediaOrganization",
"@id": "https://www.kqed.org/#organization",
"name": "KQED",
"logo": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"url": "https://www.kqed.org",
"sameAs": [
"https://www.facebook.com/KQED",
"https://twitter.com/KQED",
"https://www.instagram.com/kqed/",
"https://www.tiktok.com/@kqedofficial",
"https://www.linkedin.com/company/kqed",
"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeC0IOo7i1P_61zVUWbJ4nw"
]
}
}
},
"primaryCategory": {
"termId": 34168,
"slug": "guides-and-explainers",
"name": "Guides and Explainers"
},
"sticky": false,
"nprStoryId": "kqed-12074650",
"templateType": "standard",
"featuredImageType": "standard",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/news/12074650/2026-oakland-teachers-strike-ousd-when-oea-union-alameda-county",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Weeks after \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12074197/sfusd-teachers-got-a-big-contract-deal-not-all-are-happy-with-it\">San Francisco educators \u003c/a>wrapped up a four-day strike that shuttered schools and left many families across the city scrambling for child care, Oakland teachers are gearing up for a possible labor battle of their own.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Late last week, the Oakland Education Association — the union representing nearly 3,000 teachers, social workers, counselors and other staff across the Oakland Unified School District — voted to authorize a strike. The threat comes after nearly \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12074272/oakland-teachers-approve-a-strike-as-report-calls-districts-pay-not-competitive\">a year of labor negotiations\u003c/a> between the union and the school district without a contract deal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Unlike San Francisco’s teachers strike, which was \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12071181/san-francisco-teachers-union-moves-closer-to-a-historic-strike-first-in-more-than-50-years\">the city’s first in almost half a century\u003c/a>, Oakland teachers \u003cem>have \u003c/em>taken to the picket lines in recent years. During contract negotiations in 2019 and 2023, OUSD educators held strikes that each lasted about a week and ended after the district offered wage increases to staff.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Despite those raises, the parties’ major sticking point again revolves around pay. OUSD’s teachers are among the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12071181/san-francisco-teachers-union-moves-closer-to-a-historic-strike-first-in-more-than-50-years\">lowest paid in the Bay Area\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Jump straight to: \u003ca href=\"#WhensthesoonestanOaklandteachersstrikecouldtakeplace\">When’s the soonest an Oakland teachers strike could take place?\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>While Oakland families might have gained more familiarity in navigating teacher strikes in the last few years, the challenges of keeping up with rapid back-and-forth negotiations between the union and district — and to find access to food, child care and instructional resources for kids whose schools could be impacted — are the same.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Keep reading for what we know about a possible Oakland teachers strike.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Is an OUSD strike definitely happening?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Not yet. But while no OUSD strike has been called, it could be announced at any time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last Friday, teachers gave their OEA union permission to call a work stoppage, and they have completed the legally mandated mediation process.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12043210\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12043210\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250428-OUSD-OFFICE-FILE-MD-04_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250428-OUSD-OFFICE-FILE-MD-04_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250428-OUSD-OFFICE-FILE-MD-04_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250428-OUSD-OFFICE-FILE-MD-04_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Oakland Unified School District Offices in Oakland on April 28, 2025. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The union has said it’s still open to negotiating with the school district to avoid a strike, though, and the two sides have another bargaining session on the books for Thursday evening.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But OEA representatives have said the union will need real movement from the district on wages to come to any agreement.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>What does the Oakland teachers union want, and what’s the latest?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>OUSD and OEA have been negotiating a new contract since last March.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While the two sides have reached some tentative agreements on smaller proposals, they’ve made little progress on wage increases. Like districts across the state, OUSD is facing enrollment decline, and said its spending is outpacing its revenue.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the union said its teachers are paid too little to live in Oakland, and that low wages are contributing to high teacher turnover rates in the district.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"postid": "news_12074272",
"hero": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/012_KQED_OaklandTeacherStrike_04292022_qed-1536x1024.jpg",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>The union has demanded a raise between 12% and 14% over two years. In reply, OUSD has proposed raises that would equal 8% by 2027.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last week, a neutral mediator, who was appointed to collect financial information and hear arguments of both sides, issued a recommendation that falls somewhere in the middle: a 6% raise over two years, plus an additional 3% to 4% raise in 2027. The mediator also suggested an extra 2% bump for special education teachers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The mediator’s full report, known as a “fact-finding report,” was released last week and marked the final step in mediation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since then, the parties met to bargain on Monday and are expected to return to the table on Thursday afternoon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Tuesday night, the district’s school board held a closed-door meeting to discuss the negotiations, but didn’t take any new actions.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>What’s going on with Oakland’s budget? And what does it have to do with a strike?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Oakland’s school district is in the midst of making major budget cuts, which have become \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12023461/ousd-on-track-run-out-of-cash-after-avoiding-hard-decisions-scathing-letter-says\">routine\u003c/a> in recent years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12043062/as-ousd-gets-closer-to-controlling-its-finances-new-budget-challenges-loom\">Last summer\u003c/a>, the district regained full local financial control 20 years after it declared bankruptcy in 2003. But without cuts, interim Superintendent Denise Saddler told the school board this week, OUSD won’t be able to right a $102 million budget deficit projected next year and could risk again needing state assistance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Wednesday, the district approved a plan to eliminate almost 400 staff positions through a combination of layoffs, early retirement buyouts and eliminations of roles that are currently vacant. Those cuts will save about $11 million, according to district fiscal advisors. The district is also eyeing plans to reduce schools’ individual budgets, and a lofty proposal to significantly increase the special education services it offers in district schools.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12019083\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12019083\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/12/21_240517-TKBilingualLearners-80-BL-scaled-e1772135571879.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Transitional kindergarten students play outside during recess at the International Community School in Oakland on May 17, 2024. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>So far, it’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12064579/oaklands-school-district-must-cut-100-million-its-proposed-plan-doesnt-get-close\">identified about $65\u003c/a> million in cuts it could make, and is still aiming to identify another $35 million before its budget is due in June. That total dollar amount doesn’t factor in any additional costs associated with a new contract with OEA.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Across \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073310/if-sfusd-teachers-get-their-way-district-suggests-more-cuts-could-be-on-the-table\">other Bay Area school districts\u003c/a>, rocked by strikes in recent weeks, officials have indicated that spending more on teachers’ contracts could force districts to make deeper cuts during budget planning.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In San Francisco, the deal that educators and the district struck earlier this month increased the district’s expenditures by more than $180 million for two years, and could lead to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073441/san-franciscos-teachers-strike-has-ended-what-comes-next\">additional cuts or layoffs\u003c/a>, according to school leaders there. West Contra Costa County, which also just approved a new labor contract after a four-day strike in December, passed a plan that will \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073310/if-sfusd-teachers-get-their-way-district-suggests-more-cuts-could-be-on-the-table\">slash 10% of its workforce\u003c/a> at the end of the school year.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"WhensthesoonestanOaklandteachersstrikecouldtakeplace\">\u003c/a>When’s the soonest an Oakland teachers strike could take place?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Since mediation has wrapped up, and the union has authorized a walkout, the call for an Oakland teachers strike could come at any time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>OEA has to give the district 48 hours’ notice before taking to picket lines, so the earliest a strike would likely interrupt schools is Monday.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Has this kind of strike ever happened before in Oakland?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Yes. Oakland’s OEA union held similar strikes in both 2019 and 2023.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://edsource.org/2019/tentative-agreement-reached-in-oakland-unified-teachers-strike/609342\">In 2019\u003c/a>, the walkout came after Oakland teachers had been working under an expired deal for nearly two years. Lasting a week, the strike ended with a four-year contract that included raises, along with commitments to decrease class sizes and put a monthslong moratorium on school closures.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12042892\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12042892 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/20241211-OUSDMergerVote-JY-026_qed-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/20241211-OUSDMergerVote-JY-026_qed-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/20241211-OUSDMergerVote-JY-026_qed-1-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/20241211-OUSDMergerVote-JY-026_qed-1-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/20241211-OUSDMergerVote-JY-026_qed-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/20241211-OUSDMergerVote-JY-026_qed-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/20241211-OUSDMergerVote-JY-026_qed-1-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Oakland Unified School District Board listens to public comment during a meeting at La Escuelita Elementary School in Oakland, California, on Dec. 11, 2024. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>OUSD operates more small campuses compared to similarly sized districts, and for years has gone back and forth on plans to shutter some schools, often \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12017719/oaklands-school-merger-plan-stalled-districts-huge-deficit-remains\">reneging on plans\u003c/a> after community pushback.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Oakland educators again \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11949458/oakland-teachers-strike-ends-as-union-reaches-agreement-with-school-district\">walked out for about a week in 2023\u003c/a>, after another monthslong negotiation cycle.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>What happens during a teachers strike? Will Oakland schools close?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>While San Francisco schools closed earlier this month, Oakland’s could remain open during a walkout.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During the 2023 strike, students who attended school were supervised by principals and central office staff. But little instruction actually occurred, and attendance dropped as low as 4%, according to \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2023/05/25/ousds-annual-attendance-fell-4-as-a-result-of-the-teachers-strike/\">\u003cem>The Oaklandside\u003c/em>\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Where can I take my kids if Oakland schools are closed?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Some institutions are preparing to extend their services if the strike is on. The City of Oakland’s Office of Parks, Recreation & Youth Development opened five centers “in the event of an Oakland Unified School District teacher strike.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The following spots in Oakland will be open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.oaklandca.gov/Community/Parks-Facilities/Recreation-Centers/Allendale-Recreation-Center\">Allendale Recreation Center\u003c/a>: 3711 Suter St.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.oaklandca.gov/Community/Parks-Facilities/Recreation-Centers/Bushrod-Recreation-Center\">Bushrod Recreation Center\u003c/a>: 560 59th St.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.oaklandca.gov/Community/Parks-Facilities/Recreation-Centers/Carmen-Flores-Recreation-Center\">Carmen Flores Recreation Center\u003c/a>: 1637 Fruitvale Ave.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.oaklandca.gov/Community/Parks-Facilities/Recreation-Centers/Ira-Jinkins-Recreation-Center\">Ira Jinkins Recreation Center\u003c/a>: 9175 Edes Ave.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.oaklandca.gov/Community/Parks-Facilities/Recreation-Centers/Lincoln-Square-Park-and-Recreation-Center\">Lincoln Square Park and Recreation Center\u003c/a>: 261 11th St.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>In an email, the representative from the city said “services will be free,” and there will be snacks and meals provided.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some museums and cultural institutions may also respond to the strike by providing deals for impacted families, but some \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073183/sfusd-san-francisco-teachers-strike-museums-free-tickets-discounts-sf-library\">local museums already have discounts\u003c/a> for young people. For example, the Oakland Museum of California has \u003ca href=\"https://tickets.museumca.org/orders/492/calendar?eventId=63c714fc8e3603283bf30b0e&cart&_gl=1*4ss7il*_gcl_au*MjI5OTA4Nzc1LjE3NzIxNDc4Njg.*_ga*MTY1NTg5NDE1MS4xNzcyMTQ3ODY3*_ga_VHQH9B37EL*czE3NzIxNDc4NjQkbzEkZzEkdDE3NzIxNDc5NzUkajQ5JGwwJGgw*_ga_GVDBGVJYSC*czE3NzIxNDc4NjQkbzEkZzEkdDE3NzIxNDc5NzYkajQ4JGwwJGgw\">free admission for young people 12 and under\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>What does ‘crossing a picket line’ actually mean?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Families sending students to school during a strike\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During the SFUSD strike earlier this month, \u003ca href=\"https://wecantwait.info/parents/uesf\">the California Teachers Union \u003c/a>said that as a parent or guardian, “you’ll have to decide if you want your child in this environment” of a school that’s in the middle of a strike.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“A strike is most powerful when students do not attend school, because this puts financial pressure on the district to negotiate with educators or lose more money from the state,” the statewide union’s \u003ca href=\"https://wecantwait.info/parents/uesf\">guidance\u003c/a> for SFUSD families read. CTA has not yet issued specific guidance for OUSD families.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11949102\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11949102\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/RS65200_05092023_oaklandstrikepresser-214-qut.jpg\" alt=\"Teachers march in front of a school, holding protest signs.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1277\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/RS65200_05092023_oaklandstrikepresser-214-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/RS65200_05092023_oaklandstrikepresser-214-qut-800x532.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/RS65200_05092023_oaklandstrikepresser-214-qut-1020x678.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/RS65200_05092023_oaklandstrikepresser-214-qut-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/RS65200_05092023_oaklandstrikepresser-214-qut-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Oakland teachers, students and supporters march on a picket line in front of Melrose Leadership Academy on May 9, 2023. \u003ccite>(Kori Suzuki/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Volunteers teaching in schools during a strike in the absence of teachers\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The National PTA’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.pta.org/home/advocacy/ptas-positions/Individual-Position-Statements/Position-Statement-Teacher-Negotiations-Sanctions-and-Strikes\">guidance\u003c/a> to local branches also states that “PTA should not man the classrooms” unless “possibly for a day in the absence of advance notice of a strike.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Not only is manning of classrooms inconsistent with PTA efforts to obtain a qualified teacher in every classroom, but personal liability may be incurred,” the notice reads. “If the school administration intends to keep the schools open during a teacher walkout, it should develop a corps of volunteers outside the PTA structure.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>What about families who rely on free meals at school?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Many families may rely on schools to provide no-cost meals during weekdays.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During the SFUSD strike, the district and the mayor’s office organized several pick-up locations throughout for breakfasts and lunches — and OUSD may do the same. KQED has asked the district for details of any resources it plans to offer families in the event of a strike.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12035840\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12035840\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/061121_SummerSchool_AW_CM_06.jpg\" alt=\"The bottom half of several children on a concrete playground with yellow chalk outlining numbers and letters is shown.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/061121_SummerSchool_AW_CM_06.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/061121_SummerSchool_AW_CM_06-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/061121_SummerSchool_AW_CM_06-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/061121_SummerSchool_AW_CM_06-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/061121_SummerSchool_AW_CM_06-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/061121_SummerSchool_AW_CM_06-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Rising first graders walk to their classroom at the start of the day during summer session at Laurel Elementary in Oakland on June 11, 2021. \u003ccite>(Anne Wernikoff/CalMatters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>KQED has a thorough guide on how to find \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12061440/calfresh-snap-ebt-shutdown-find-food-banks-near-me-san-francisco-bay-area-alameda-oakland-contra-costa-newsom-national-guard\">food pantries\u003c/a> in the Bay Area, including Alameda County resources like:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>The California Association of Food Banks\u003ca href=\"https://www.cafoodbanks.org/our-members/\">’ online tool\u003c/a>, which lists all the major food banks in the state\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>The \u003ca href=\"https://211ca.org/\">state’s 211 \u003c/a>hotline\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.foodnow.net/find-a-food-pantry/\">Alameda County Community Food Bank\u003c/a> tool can locate \u003ca href=\"https://www.foodnow.net/find-a-food-pantry/\">food resources\u003c/a> in the area. You can also call 510-635-3663 for any emergencies\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.alamedafoodbank.org/get-food/\">Alameda Food Bank\u003c/a> at 677 W. Ranger Ave. in Alameda\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>A map of \u003ca href=\"https://www.acgov.org/maps/food-services.htm\">food services and distribution\u003c/a> locations in Alameda County\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "floatright"
},
"numeric": [
"floatright"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/news/12074650/2026-oakland-teachers-strike-ousd-when-oea-union-alameda-county",
"authors": [
"11913",
"11867"
],
"categories": [
"news_18540",
"news_34168",
"news_28250"
],
"tags": [
"news_32707",
"news_18352",
"news_20013",
"news_35888",
"news_27626",
"news_19904",
"news_34054",
"news_24851",
"news_31016",
"news_1826",
"news_3366",
"news_31988"
],
"featImg": "news_12037666",
"label": "news"
},
"news_12074694": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "news_12074694",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12074694",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1772147449000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "judge-says-california-must-allow-20000-immigrant-drivers-to-reapply-for-commercial-licenses",
"title": "Judge Says California Must Allow 20,000 Immigrant Drivers to Reapply for Commercial Licenses",
"publishDate": 1772147449,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "Judge Says California Must Allow 20,000 Immigrant Drivers to Reapply for Commercial Licenses | KQED",
"labelTerm": {
"site": "news"
},
"content": "\u003cp>A \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california\">California\u003c/a> judge said on Wednesday the state’s Department of Motor Vehicles must allow about 20,000 immigrants to reapply for commercial driver’s licenses that were set to be canceled next week under pressure from the Trump administration.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The agency planned to revoke the licenses held by bus, truck, and delivery drivers on March 6 after the federal government found issues regarding \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12067557/california-plans-to-reissue-contested-drivers-licenses-to-thousands-of-immigrants\">expiration dates last fall\u003c/a>, caused by DMV clerical errors. The state \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12068027/california-delays-plan-to-reissue-commercial-licenses-drivers-mired-in-uncertainty\">paused a plan \u003c/a>to reissue the non-domiciled licenses in December, after sending 60-day cancellation notices.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The cancellations threatened the livelihoods of drivers through no fault of their own, according to lawyers for several license holders who sued the DMV in Alameda County Superior Court. Judge Karin Schwartz is expected to issue an official ruling in the coming days.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many of those who received cancellation letters are Sikh asylum seekers from Punjab, India, who said they have valid work permits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re heartened. This is great news,” said plaintiff attorney Munmeeth Kaur Soni, with the Sikh Coalition, a New York-based national civil rights and advocacy organization, after the court hearing on Wednesday. “It’s a relief that a state court judge recognized that we need to hold our state agencies accountable.”\u003cem> \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Drivers and unions separately \u003ca href=\"https://www.citizen.org/news/new-lawsuit-challenges-punitive-trump-rule-against-immigrants-lawfully-holding-commercial-drivers-licenses/\">sued to block\u003c/a> a federal rule that aims to exclude an estimated 190,000 asylum seekers, refugees and other noncitizens from holding commercial licenses. The U.S. Department of Transportation argues its \u003ca href=\"https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/newsroom/trumps-transportation-secretary-sean-p-duffy-puts-safety-first-finalizes-rule-stop\">regulation\u003c/a>, published this month, will improve public safety after a series of fatal highway accidents involving non-domiciled immigrant drivers. A panel of federal judges put an earlier, similar rule \u003ca href=\"https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/newsroom/interim-final-ruling-restoring-integrity-issuance-non-domiciled-drivers-licenses-cdl\">on hold\u003c/a> last November.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12067538\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12067538\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251216_REVOKE-OF-COMMERCIAL-DRIVERS-LICENSES_DECEMBER_GH-9-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251216_REVOKE-OF-COMMERCIAL-DRIVERS-LICENSES_DECEMBER_GH-9-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251216_REVOKE-OF-COMMERCIAL-DRIVERS-LICENSES_DECEMBER_GH-9-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251216_REVOKE-OF-COMMERCIAL-DRIVERS-LICENSES_DECEMBER_GH-9-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The view from inside Amarjit Singh’s truck in Livermore, on Dec. 16, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In the State of the Union address on Tuesday, President Donald Trump highlighted a June 2024 accident in which an 18-wheeler crashed into a stopped car, severely injuring 5-year-old Dalilah Coleman. Trump, who said the driver was an undocumented person licensed in California, called on Congress to pass a law “barring any state from granting commercial driver’s licenses to illegal aliens.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Many, if not most, illegal aliens do not speak English and cannot read even the most basic road signs as to direction, speed, danger or location,” Trump said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Industry experts doubt reliable evidence links safe driving with immigration status. They point instead to often grueling job conditions fueling driver fatigue as a contributor to truck collisions — especially in long-haul trucking, an industry that employs many drivers without permanent residence in the U.S.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Before the Trump administration changes, states issued non-domiciled commercial driver’s licenses to noncitizens who passed knowledge and skills tests and presented federally valid work authorization, but who did not have a green card.[aside postID=news_12068027 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251216_REVOKE-OF-COMMERCIAL-DRIVERS-LICENSES_DECEMBER_GH-5-KQED.jpg']At the court hearing in Oakland, state lawyers representing the DMV argued that its hands are tied. Federal transportation officials prohibited the agency in December from issuing non-domiciled licenses, saying the DMV had not complied with regulations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has threatened to decertify California’s entire commercial license program if it defies that directive, which could impact hundreds of thousands of drivers, according to the respondent’s brief.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“FMCSA has placed DMV in an impossible position,” attorneys for the state agency said. “Either stand by while thousands of eligible drivers have their non-domiciled CDLs cancelled, or expire, without being able to issue corrected or renewal licenses, or instead resume issuing these licenses and risk disenfranchising even more commercial drivers.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The DMV initially said it would revoke about 17,300 of the licenses with expiration date errors in early January, and an additional 2,700 in mid-February. But after public outcry, it extended the deadline to March 6, to give federal officials more time to review corrective actions the state agency said it had taken.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy responded by announcing his agency would withhold \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12069236/retribution-bay-area-lawmakers-slam-160-million-loss-in-federal-highway-funds\">$158 million\u003c/a> of highway safety funds, a decision the DMV is \u003ca href=\"https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/72239726/california-department-of-motor-vehicles-v-dot/\">fighting in court\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Schwartz said the DMV must give drivers impacted by cancellations an opportunity to reapply, according to state law. The details of how the agency plans to issue those licenses in a reasonable time, while taking into account federal threats, should be worked out by the two parties ahead of the March 6 deadline, she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12052396\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12052396\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/230928-EAGLE-ROCK-SETTLE-MD-07_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/230928-EAGLE-ROCK-SETTLE-MD-07_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/230928-EAGLE-ROCK-SETTLE-MD-07_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/230928-EAGLE-ROCK-SETTLE-MD-07_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Trucks leave the Port of Oakland on Sept. 28, 2023. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Federal officials “have repeatedly threatened to decertify California or take away its funds. The court cannot ignore that,” Schwartz told the packed courtroom proceeding, attended by several Sikh business owners and community leaders from the Bay Area and Central Valley.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After the hearing, some said they felt hopeful, after months of stress and uncertainty for relatives and friends who feared losing jobs in the trucking and logistics industry, a major source of employment for the Sikh community.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rajinder Singh said his trucking company stood to lose about 20 of 30 drivers who received DMV cancellation letters, including three cousins. The employees support families and owe loans for homes and trucks they’ve purchased, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If they don’t have a license, how can they work and make payments for the trucks, for the homes? It’s hard,” said Singh, who owns Flying Eagle Xpress, based in Tracy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "Under pressure from the Trump administration, California planned to revoke the licenses next week. A state court’s ruling, expected in the coming days, will likely offer drivers a way to keep their licenses.",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1772150856,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 21,
"wordCount": 947
},
"headData": {
"title": "Judge Says California Must Allow 20,000 Immigrant Drivers to Reapply for Commercial Licenses | KQED",
"description": "Under pressure from the Trump administration, California planned to revoke the licenses next week. A state court’s ruling, expected in the coming days, will likely offer drivers a way to keep their licenses.",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "NewsArticle",
"headline": "Judge Says California Must Allow 20,000 Immigrant Drivers to Reapply for Commercial Licenses",
"datePublished": "2026-02-26T15:10:49-08:00",
"dateModified": "2026-02-26T16:07:36-08:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"isAccessibleForFree": "True",
"publisher": {
"@type": "NewsMediaOrganization",
"@id": "https://www.kqed.org/#organization",
"name": "KQED",
"logo": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"url": "https://www.kqed.org",
"sameAs": [
"https://www.facebook.com/KQED",
"https://twitter.com/KQED",
"https://www.instagram.com/kqed/",
"https://www.tiktok.com/@kqedofficial",
"https://www.linkedin.com/company/kqed",
"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeC0IOo7i1P_61zVUWbJ4nw"
]
}
}
},
"primaryCategory": {
"termId": 34551,
"slug": "labor",
"name": "Labor"
},
"audioUrl": "https://traffic.omny.fm/d/clips/0af137ef-751e-4b19-a055-aaef00d2d578/ffca7e9f-6831-41c5-bcaf-aaef00f5a073/9f5c822d-9dc3-4a73-b4c7-b3fd0121537c/audio.mp3",
"sticky": false,
"nprStoryId": "kqed-12074694",
"templateType": "standard",
"featuredImageType": "standard",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/news/12074694/judge-says-california-must-allow-20000-immigrant-drivers-to-reapply-for-commercial-licenses",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>A \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california\">California\u003c/a> judge said on Wednesday the state’s Department of Motor Vehicles must allow about 20,000 immigrants to reapply for commercial driver’s licenses that were set to be canceled next week under pressure from the Trump administration.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The agency planned to revoke the licenses held by bus, truck, and delivery drivers on March 6 after the federal government found issues regarding \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12067557/california-plans-to-reissue-contested-drivers-licenses-to-thousands-of-immigrants\">expiration dates last fall\u003c/a>, caused by DMV clerical errors. The state \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12068027/california-delays-plan-to-reissue-commercial-licenses-drivers-mired-in-uncertainty\">paused a plan \u003c/a>to reissue the non-domiciled licenses in December, after sending 60-day cancellation notices.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The cancellations threatened the livelihoods of drivers through no fault of their own, according to lawyers for several license holders who sued the DMV in Alameda County Superior Court. Judge Karin Schwartz is expected to issue an official ruling in the coming days.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many of those who received cancellation letters are Sikh asylum seekers from Punjab, India, who said they have valid work permits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re heartened. This is great news,” said plaintiff attorney Munmeeth Kaur Soni, with the Sikh Coalition, a New York-based national civil rights and advocacy organization, after the court hearing on Wednesday. “It’s a relief that a state court judge recognized that we need to hold our state agencies accountable.”\u003cem> \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Drivers and unions separately \u003ca href=\"https://www.citizen.org/news/new-lawsuit-challenges-punitive-trump-rule-against-immigrants-lawfully-holding-commercial-drivers-licenses/\">sued to block\u003c/a> a federal rule that aims to exclude an estimated 190,000 asylum seekers, refugees and other noncitizens from holding commercial licenses. The U.S. Department of Transportation argues its \u003ca href=\"https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/newsroom/trumps-transportation-secretary-sean-p-duffy-puts-safety-first-finalizes-rule-stop\">regulation\u003c/a>, published this month, will improve public safety after a series of fatal highway accidents involving non-domiciled immigrant drivers. A panel of federal judges put an earlier, similar rule \u003ca href=\"https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/newsroom/interim-final-ruling-restoring-integrity-issuance-non-domiciled-drivers-licenses-cdl\">on hold\u003c/a> last November.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12067538\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12067538\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251216_REVOKE-OF-COMMERCIAL-DRIVERS-LICENSES_DECEMBER_GH-9-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251216_REVOKE-OF-COMMERCIAL-DRIVERS-LICENSES_DECEMBER_GH-9-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251216_REVOKE-OF-COMMERCIAL-DRIVERS-LICENSES_DECEMBER_GH-9-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251216_REVOKE-OF-COMMERCIAL-DRIVERS-LICENSES_DECEMBER_GH-9-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The view from inside Amarjit Singh’s truck in Livermore, on Dec. 16, 2025. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In the State of the Union address on Tuesday, President Donald Trump highlighted a June 2024 accident in which an 18-wheeler crashed into a stopped car, severely injuring 5-year-old Dalilah Coleman. Trump, who said the driver was an undocumented person licensed in California, called on Congress to pass a law “barring any state from granting commercial driver’s licenses to illegal aliens.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Many, if not most, illegal aliens do not speak English and cannot read even the most basic road signs as to direction, speed, danger or location,” Trump said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Industry experts doubt reliable evidence links safe driving with immigration status. They point instead to often grueling job conditions fueling driver fatigue as a contributor to truck collisions — especially in long-haul trucking, an industry that employs many drivers without permanent residence in the U.S.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Before the Trump administration changes, states issued non-domiciled commercial driver’s licenses to noncitizens who passed knowledge and skills tests and presented federally valid work authorization, but who did not have a green card.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"postid": "news_12068027",
"hero": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251216_REVOKE-OF-COMMERCIAL-DRIVERS-LICENSES_DECEMBER_GH-5-KQED.jpg",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>At the court hearing in Oakland, state lawyers representing the DMV argued that its hands are tied. Federal transportation officials prohibited the agency in December from issuing non-domiciled licenses, saying the DMV had not complied with regulations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has threatened to decertify California’s entire commercial license program if it defies that directive, which could impact hundreds of thousands of drivers, according to the respondent’s brief.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“FMCSA has placed DMV in an impossible position,” attorneys for the state agency said. “Either stand by while thousands of eligible drivers have their non-domiciled CDLs cancelled, or expire, without being able to issue corrected or renewal licenses, or instead resume issuing these licenses and risk disenfranchising even more commercial drivers.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The DMV initially said it would revoke about 17,300 of the licenses with expiration date errors in early January, and an additional 2,700 in mid-February. But after public outcry, it extended the deadline to March 6, to give federal officials more time to review corrective actions the state agency said it had taken.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy responded by announcing his agency would withhold \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12069236/retribution-bay-area-lawmakers-slam-160-million-loss-in-federal-highway-funds\">$158 million\u003c/a> of highway safety funds, a decision the DMV is \u003ca href=\"https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/72239726/california-department-of-motor-vehicles-v-dot/\">fighting in court\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Schwartz said the DMV must give drivers impacted by cancellations an opportunity to reapply, according to state law. The details of how the agency plans to issue those licenses in a reasonable time, while taking into account federal threats, should be worked out by the two parties ahead of the March 6 deadline, she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12052396\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12052396\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/230928-EAGLE-ROCK-SETTLE-MD-07_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/230928-EAGLE-ROCK-SETTLE-MD-07_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/230928-EAGLE-ROCK-SETTLE-MD-07_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/230928-EAGLE-ROCK-SETTLE-MD-07_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Trucks leave the Port of Oakland on Sept. 28, 2023. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Federal officials “have repeatedly threatened to decertify California or take away its funds. The court cannot ignore that,” Schwartz told the packed courtroom proceeding, attended by several Sikh business owners and community leaders from the Bay Area and Central Valley.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After the hearing, some said they felt hopeful, after months of stress and uncertainty for relatives and friends who feared losing jobs in the trucking and logistics industry, a major source of employment for the Sikh community.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rajinder Singh said his trucking company stood to lose about 20 of 30 drivers who received DMV cancellation letters, including three cousins. The employees support families and owe loans for homes and trucks they’ve purchased, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If they don’t have a license, how can they work and make payments for the trucks, for the homes? It’s hard,” said Singh, who owns Flying Eagle Xpress, based in Tracy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/news/12074694/judge-says-california-must-allow-20000-immigrant-drivers-to-reapply-for-commercial-licenses",
"authors": [
"8659"
],
"categories": [
"news_31795",
"news_1169",
"news_34551",
"news_8"
],
"tags": [
"news_18538",
"news_36266",
"news_1323",
"news_17940",
"news_20202",
"news_19904",
"news_36249"
],
"featImg": "news_12074813",
"label": "news"
},
"news_12074690": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "news_12074690",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12074690",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1772130940000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "san-francisco-court-clerks-launch-strike-over-staffing-and-criminal-case-backlogs",
"title": "San Francisco Court Clerks Launch Strike Over Staffing and Criminal Case Backlogs",
"publishDate": 1772130940,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "San Francisco Court Clerks Launch Strike Over Staffing and Criminal Case Backlogs | KQED",
"labelTerm": {
"site": "news"
},
"content": "\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-francisco-superior-court\">San Francisco’s Superior Court\u003c/a> operations were majorly disrupted on Thursday as 200 clerical workers launched an open-ended strike.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The court clerks, represented by Service Employees International Union Local 1021, announced Monday that they would walk off the job this week following months of bargaining over a new three-year contract.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The union said the court has refused to bargain in good faith over staffing and training issues that have contributed to case delays and a significant backlog at the court, and could lead to mistakes they worry would harm the public.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re spread so thin that nobody’s really been given the opportunity to be adequately trained for some of the assignments that we’re sent off to,” said Rob Borders, a criminal court clerk and member of the union bargaining team. He said the union has been raising its concerns in bargaining since last year, and hasn’t been able to reach a “sustainable resolution.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The situation hasn’t gotten any better, and our concerns are the same, and they’re growing,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Thursday morning, clerks formed picket lines at 850 Bryant Street, on the steps of the city’s Hall of Justice.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12074733\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12074733\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260226-SFCOURTSTRIKE-01-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260226-SFCOURTSTRIKE-01-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260226-SFCOURTSTRIKE-01-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260226-SFCOURTSTRIKE-01-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">San Francisco Superior Court clerks and supporters rally outside the Hall of Justice in San Francisco on Feb. 26, 2026, as members of SEIU Local 1021 strike amid stalled contract negotiations over pay, staffing and workload concerns. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The workers held a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12010910/san-francisco-courthouse-clerks-strike-shutting-down-high-profile-cases\">one-day strike in 2024\u003c/a> over similar issues and threatened a three-day walkout in October, as contract negotiations stalled. That month, the union and court reached a tentative deal to avert the work stoppage, but members rejected it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Benjamin Thompson, a criminal division clerk at the Hall of Justice and vice president of the union, said court management has refused to bargain over training and staffing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They have decided that not only is staffing not an issue, but formal training to make sure that we do our jobs correctly is not an issue,” he told KQED on Wednesday. “It’s not something they want to address, which I’m flabbergasted by.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“These are people’s lives,” he continued.[aside postID=news_12074265 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00420_TV-KQED.jpg']Borders said that staffing shortages have existed for years in the criminal division and are being exacerbated as the San Francisco district attorney’s office files more cases.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The union said a number of cases have been dropped after missing constitutionally mandated deadlines. Separately, the court has had to release some defendants pending trial after the San Francisco public defender’s office, since May, has been \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12061089/jenkins-san-francisco-superior-court-is-complicit-in-dereliction-of-duty\">rejecting some felony cases,\u003c/a> claiming it is also dealing with chronic understaffing and excessive workloads.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://sfdistrictattorney.org/policy/data-dashboards/#cases-prosecuted\">City data\u003c/a> shows that District Attorney Brooke Jenkins filed 8,400 cases in 2025, compared to about 5,600 in 2021, during former District Attorney Chesa Boudin’s last full year on the job.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Borders said overburdened clerks have been put in positions that have led to paperwork errors, with consequences like keeping someone in custody longer than they need to be, or a person’s sentence being incorrectly reflected.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Nothing catastrophic has happened yet,” he said, but “we would hate to be in a position where one of our members has their names on a minute order that was responsible for releasing somebody that wasn’t supposed to be released, and then something horrible happens.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Monday, the union said it had presented management with “commonsense proposals” that address the staffing and training concerns, but had been unable to reach any agreement to avert the strike.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12074734\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12074734\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260226-SFCOURTSTRIKE-04-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260226-SFCOURTSTRIKE-04-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260226-SFCOURTSTRIKE-04-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260226-SFCOURTSTRIKE-04-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">San Francisco Superior Court clerks and supporters rally outside the Hall of Justice in San Francisco on Feb. 26, 2026, as members of SEIU Local 1021 strike amid stalled contract negotiations over pay, staffing and workload concerns. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>According to Court Executive Officer Brandon Riley, the Hall of Justice will remain open for mandated essential and emergency services during the strike, with \u003ca href=\"https://sf.courts.ca.gov/divisions/jury-services\">limited \u003c/a>hours for its jury services staff.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Mandated services will proceed with the help of management employees who will triage and prioritize emergency matters for people who need help today,” he said in a statement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Court resources will be shifted to prioritize cases with statutory deadlines, including criminal cases, custody arraignments, unlawful detainers and civil harassment and domestic violence matters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Matters without pressing statutory deadlines will be recessed, the court said, and clerks’ offices could be closed. Some departments at the Hall of Justice, Civic Center Courthouse and Juvenile Justice Center will remain open.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s unclear how long the strike could last.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "The union said staffing has been spread thin for years, but that the high volume of cases filed by District Attorney Brooke Jenkins’ office has exacerbated the problem.",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1772140240,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 22,
"wordCount": 816
},
"headData": {
"title": "San Francisco Court Clerks Launch Strike Over Staffing and Criminal Case Backlogs | KQED",
"description": "The union said staffing has been spread thin for years, but that the high volume of cases filed by District Attorney Brooke Jenkins’ office has exacerbated the problem.",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "NewsArticle",
"headline": "San Francisco Court Clerks Launch Strike Over Staffing and Criminal Case Backlogs",
"datePublished": "2026-02-26T10:35:40-08:00",
"dateModified": "2026-02-26T13:10:40-08:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"isAccessibleForFree": "True",
"publisher": {
"@type": "NewsMediaOrganization",
"@id": "https://www.kqed.org/#organization",
"name": "KQED",
"logo": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"url": "https://www.kqed.org",
"sameAs": [
"https://www.facebook.com/KQED",
"https://twitter.com/KQED",
"https://www.instagram.com/kqed/",
"https://www.tiktok.com/@kqedofficial",
"https://www.linkedin.com/company/kqed",
"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeC0IOo7i1P_61zVUWbJ4nw"
]
}
}
},
"primaryCategory": {
"termId": 34551,
"slug": "labor",
"name": "Labor"
},
"sticky": false,
"nprStoryId": "kqed-12074690",
"templateType": "standard",
"featuredImageType": "standard",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/news/12074690/san-francisco-court-clerks-launch-strike-over-staffing-and-criminal-case-backlogs",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-francisco-superior-court\">San Francisco’s Superior Court\u003c/a> operations were majorly disrupted on Thursday as 200 clerical workers launched an open-ended strike.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The court clerks, represented by Service Employees International Union Local 1021, announced Monday that they would walk off the job this week following months of bargaining over a new three-year contract.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The union said the court has refused to bargain in good faith over staffing and training issues that have contributed to case delays and a significant backlog at the court, and could lead to mistakes they worry would harm the public.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re spread so thin that nobody’s really been given the opportunity to be adequately trained for some of the assignments that we’re sent off to,” said Rob Borders, a criminal court clerk and member of the union bargaining team. He said the union has been raising its concerns in bargaining since last year, and hasn’t been able to reach a “sustainable resolution.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The situation hasn’t gotten any better, and our concerns are the same, and they’re growing,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Thursday morning, clerks formed picket lines at 850 Bryant Street, on the steps of the city’s Hall of Justice.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12074733\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12074733\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260226-SFCOURTSTRIKE-01-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260226-SFCOURTSTRIKE-01-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260226-SFCOURTSTRIKE-01-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260226-SFCOURTSTRIKE-01-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">San Francisco Superior Court clerks and supporters rally outside the Hall of Justice in San Francisco on Feb. 26, 2026, as members of SEIU Local 1021 strike amid stalled contract negotiations over pay, staffing and workload concerns. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The workers held a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12010910/san-francisco-courthouse-clerks-strike-shutting-down-high-profile-cases\">one-day strike in 2024\u003c/a> over similar issues and threatened a three-day walkout in October, as contract negotiations stalled. That month, the union and court reached a tentative deal to avert the work stoppage, but members rejected it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Benjamin Thompson, a criminal division clerk at the Hall of Justice and vice president of the union, said court management has refused to bargain over training and staffing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They have decided that not only is staffing not an issue, but formal training to make sure that we do our jobs correctly is not an issue,” he told KQED on Wednesday. “It’s not something they want to address, which I’m flabbergasted by.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“These are people’s lives,” he continued.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"postid": "news_12074265",
"hero": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00420_TV-KQED.jpg",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Borders said that staffing shortages have existed for years in the criminal division and are being exacerbated as the San Francisco district attorney’s office files more cases.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The union said a number of cases have been dropped after missing constitutionally mandated deadlines. Separately, the court has had to release some defendants pending trial after the San Francisco public defender’s office, since May, has been \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12061089/jenkins-san-francisco-superior-court-is-complicit-in-dereliction-of-duty\">rejecting some felony cases,\u003c/a> claiming it is also dealing with chronic understaffing and excessive workloads.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://sfdistrictattorney.org/policy/data-dashboards/#cases-prosecuted\">City data\u003c/a> shows that District Attorney Brooke Jenkins filed 8,400 cases in 2025, compared to about 5,600 in 2021, during former District Attorney Chesa Boudin’s last full year on the job.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Borders said overburdened clerks have been put in positions that have led to paperwork errors, with consequences like keeping someone in custody longer than they need to be, or a person’s sentence being incorrectly reflected.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Nothing catastrophic has happened yet,” he said, but “we would hate to be in a position where one of our members has their names on a minute order that was responsible for releasing somebody that wasn’t supposed to be released, and then something horrible happens.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Monday, the union said it had presented management with “commonsense proposals” that address the staffing and training concerns, but had been unable to reach any agreement to avert the strike.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12074734\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12074734\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260226-SFCOURTSTRIKE-04-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260226-SFCOURTSTRIKE-04-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260226-SFCOURTSTRIKE-04-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260226-SFCOURTSTRIKE-04-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">San Francisco Superior Court clerks and supporters rally outside the Hall of Justice in San Francisco on Feb. 26, 2026, as members of SEIU Local 1021 strike amid stalled contract negotiations over pay, staffing and workload concerns. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>According to Court Executive Officer Brandon Riley, the Hall of Justice will remain open for mandated essential and emergency services during the strike, with \u003ca href=\"https://sf.courts.ca.gov/divisions/jury-services\">limited \u003c/a>hours for its jury services staff.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Mandated services will proceed with the help of management employees who will triage and prioritize emergency matters for people who need help today,” he said in a statement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Court resources will be shifted to prioritize cases with statutory deadlines, including criminal cases, custody arraignments, unlawful detainers and civil harassment and domestic violence matters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Matters without pressing statutory deadlines will be recessed, the court said, and clerks’ offices could be closed. Some departments at the Hall of Justice, Civic Center Courthouse and Juvenile Justice Center will remain open.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s unclear how long the strike could last.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/news/12074690/san-francisco-court-clerks-launch-strike-over-staffing-and-criminal-case-backlogs",
"authors": [
"11913"
],
"categories": [
"news_34551",
"news_6188",
"news_28250",
"news_8"
],
"tags": [
"news_35208",
"news_17825",
"news_27626",
"news_19904",
"news_24590",
"news_19954",
"news_38",
"news_30759"
],
"featImg": "news_12074735",
"label": "news"
},
"news_12074462": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "news_12074462",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12074462",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1772052474000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "alameda-county-officials-look-to-stave-off-mass-hospital-layoffs-as-medicaid-cuts-loom",
"title": "Alameda County Officials Look to Stave Off Mass Hospital Layoffs as Medicaid Cuts Loom",
"publishDate": 1772052474,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "Alameda County Officials Look to Stave Off Mass Hospital Layoffs as Medicaid Cuts Loom | KQED",
"labelTerm": {
"site": "news"
},
"content": "\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/alameda-county\">Alameda County\u003c/a> leaders are sounding cautiously optimistic about stopping mass layoffs at the East Bay’s public safety-net hospital system ahead of a hearing on the layoff plan on Wednesday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.alamedahealthsystem.org/service-reductions/\">latest proposal\u003c/a> from Alameda Health System would cut 187 positions, down from earlier plans for close to 300, as executives brace for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1997707/how-will-trumps-mega-bill-impact-health-care-in-california\">major reductions in Medicaid revenue\u003c/a> because of HR 1 — the so-called “Big Beautiful Bill” signed into law by President Donald Trump last year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The 187 full-time-equivalent positions equate to 211 individuals, AHS said, some of them working part-time. Those 211 employees have already received layoff notices with a March 9 separation date, though that could change. The cuts would affect nurses, therapists, food workers and administrative assistants, among others, and would eliminate some programs completely, including two that provide outpatient behavioral health services.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At a rally outside Wilma Chan Highland Hospital Campus in Oakland on Tuesday, Alameda County Supervisor Nate Miley urged health care workers to weigh in \u003ca href=\"https://alamedacounty.granicus.com/AgendaViewer.php?view_id=2&event_id=7805\">at the hearing\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Speak your mind, let us know how these reductions in force, the reduction in labor, is going to impact safety net services so that the Board of Supervisors can come to the rescue,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The layoff plans come as AHS expects to lose over $100 million a year by 2030 as a result of HR 1 and its Medicaid cuts, a spokesperson \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12068383/alameda-health-system-to-lay-off-hundreds-in-january-after-massive-federal-cuts\">previously told KQED\u003c/a>. Medicaid payments make up about 60% of the health system’s revenue.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12074475\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12074475\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/022426_ALAMEDA-COUNTY-HEALTH-CUTS-_GH_015-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/022426_ALAMEDA-COUNTY-HEALTH-CUTS-_GH_015-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/022426_ALAMEDA-COUNTY-HEALTH-CUTS-_GH_015-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/022426_ALAMEDA-COUNTY-HEALTH-CUTS-_GH_015-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Alameda County Supervisor Nate Miley, who represents District 4, speaks during a resident physician “unity break” outside Highland Hospital in Oakland on Feb. 24, 2026. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Miley, who leads the Board of Supervisors’ health committee, said he met with AHS leaders last week and sees a path for the county to come up with funding to suspend the layoffs — at least in the short term.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The current estimate, he said, is that AHS needs between $44 million and $52 million to hold back layoffs for a year. AHS officials confirmed that they are in conversations with the county “about ways they can help us, given the extensive funding cuts we’re facing,” but wouldn’t confirm the figures Miley provided, saying it was “premature.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“My hope is the county is going to be able to kick in at least the initial $11 [million] to $13 million so that we can suspend the layoffs for a period of time,” Miley said.[aside postID=news_12072837 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/020926_KAISERSTRIKE_8137B-KQED.jpg']He aims to create a working group made up of labor leaders, county staff, supervisors and Alameda Health System administrators and trustees to develop a more long-term plan.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Miley suggested that revenue from \u003ca href=\"https://www.acgov.org/board/bos_calendar/documents/MeasureWAllocationPresentation.pdf\">Measures W\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://budget.alamedacountyca.gov/Content/pdf/FY24-25/FY2024-25ProposedBudget-7_10_24.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com\">and A\u003c/a> — sales taxes approved by voters to raise money for medical and essential services, among other things — could help offset some of the cuts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He also floated the idea of the county easing up, at least temporarily, on repayment of what’s known as the “net negative balance,” essentially a county line of credit that Alameda Health System uses to cover expenses when bills come due before large state or federal reimbursements arrive.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There are avenues we can pursue,” he said, noting that cuts to non-safety-net services might be left standing. “There might be some things that are good to have but are not necessary.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Supervisor Nikki Fortunato Bas agreed that the county can likely stanch the bleeding in the near term, but she emphasized that the real solutions are systemic: “It’s about single payer. It’s about making sure that we close the loophole in Prop. 13 and really address how resources and wealth are distributed in our country, as well as our state and our communities.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12074473\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12074473\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/022426_ALAMEDA-COUNTY-HEALTH-CUTS-_GH_007-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/022426_ALAMEDA-COUNTY-HEALTH-CUTS-_GH_007-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/022426_ALAMEDA-COUNTY-HEALTH-CUTS-_GH_007-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/022426_ALAMEDA-COUNTY-HEALTH-CUTS-_GH_007-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Nikki Fortunato Bas, a member of the Alameda County Board of Supervisors, speaks during a resident physician “unity break” outside Highland Hospital in Oakland on Feb. 24, 2026. Physicians cited layoffs, staffing shortages and contract negotiations with Alameda Health System. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In the meantime, she said she would seek to hold AHS accountable for doing everything possible to raise revenue and ensure officials there are “very clear and thoughtful about what they’re looking at, and that they’re actually talking in good faith with our labor partners to make sure that we’re addressing all the potential impacts.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some AHS employees and their unions have criticized system executives for acting rashly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“These layoffs are anticipatory,” said Dr. Elijah Lustig, a resident physician at Highland Hospital and union leader with the Committee of Interns and Residents, part of Service Employees International Union.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They’re not talking to our department heads before instituting cuts or proposing layoffs,” he said of the process. “The people who are deciding who gets fired, frankly, do not have a good grasp on how this hospital runs, on what services are crucial, on what services are impacted.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12074474\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12074474\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/022426_ALAMEDA-COUNTY-HEALTH-CUTS-_GH_010-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/022426_ALAMEDA-COUNTY-HEALTH-CUTS-_GH_010-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/022426_ALAMEDA-COUNTY-HEALTH-CUTS-_GH_010-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/022426_ALAMEDA-COUNTY-HEALTH-CUTS-_GH_010-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Wilma Chan Highland Hospital Campus is seen through flowering branches in Oakland on Feb. 24, 2026. The hospital is part of Alameda Health System. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In a statement, AHS said it “must take a proactive approach” to reducing costs. “We do not approach this painful decision lightly,” it said. “However, AHS reasonably predicts that it will run out of funds within six months, by August of 2026, if it does not act now.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wednesday’s hearing is required by law to give the public an opportunity to comment on the proposed cuts to health care services. Supervisors won’t take any action there, but Miley said he hopes the board will reach a decision on allocating funding to prevent layoffs as soon as March 3.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The hearing takes place at 3 p.m. at the Alameda County Administration Building, Board of Supervisors’ Chambers, Fifth Floor, Room 512, 1221 Oak St.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "Alameda Health System, the East Bay’s public safety-net hospital system, is proposing about 200 layoffs as executives brace for major reductions in Medicaid revenue.",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1772055397,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 22,
"wordCount": 1038
},
"headData": {
"title": "Alameda County Officials Look to Stave Off Mass Hospital Layoffs as Medicaid Cuts Loom | KQED",
"description": "Alameda Health System, the East Bay’s public safety-net hospital system, is proposing about 200 layoffs as executives brace for major reductions in Medicaid revenue.",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "NewsArticle",
"headline": "Alameda County Officials Look to Stave Off Mass Hospital Layoffs as Medicaid Cuts Loom",
"datePublished": "2026-02-25T12:47:54-08:00",
"dateModified": "2026-02-25T13:36:37-08:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"isAccessibleForFree": "True",
"publisher": {
"@type": "NewsMediaOrganization",
"@id": "https://www.kqed.org/#organization",
"name": "KQED",
"logo": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"url": "https://www.kqed.org",
"sameAs": [
"https://www.facebook.com/KQED",
"https://twitter.com/KQED",
"https://www.instagram.com/kqed/",
"https://www.tiktok.com/@kqedofficial",
"https://www.linkedin.com/company/kqed",
"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeC0IOo7i1P_61zVUWbJ4nw"
]
}
}
},
"primaryCategory": {
"termId": 34551,
"slug": "labor",
"name": "Labor"
},
"sticky": false,
"nprStoryId": "kqed-12074462",
"templateType": "standard",
"featuredImageType": "standard",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/news/12074462/alameda-county-officials-look-to-stave-off-mass-hospital-layoffs-as-medicaid-cuts-loom",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/alameda-county\">Alameda County\u003c/a> leaders are sounding cautiously optimistic about stopping mass layoffs at the East Bay’s public safety-net hospital system ahead of a hearing on the layoff plan on Wednesday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.alamedahealthsystem.org/service-reductions/\">latest proposal\u003c/a> from Alameda Health System would cut 187 positions, down from earlier plans for close to 300, as executives brace for \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1997707/how-will-trumps-mega-bill-impact-health-care-in-california\">major reductions in Medicaid revenue\u003c/a> because of HR 1 — the so-called “Big Beautiful Bill” signed into law by President Donald Trump last year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The 187 full-time-equivalent positions equate to 211 individuals, AHS said, some of them working part-time. Those 211 employees have already received layoff notices with a March 9 separation date, though that could change. The cuts would affect nurses, therapists, food workers and administrative assistants, among others, and would eliminate some programs completely, including two that provide outpatient behavioral health services.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At a rally outside Wilma Chan Highland Hospital Campus in Oakland on Tuesday, Alameda County Supervisor Nate Miley urged health care workers to weigh in \u003ca href=\"https://alamedacounty.granicus.com/AgendaViewer.php?view_id=2&event_id=7805\">at the hearing\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Speak your mind, let us know how these reductions in force, the reduction in labor, is going to impact safety net services so that the Board of Supervisors can come to the rescue,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The layoff plans come as AHS expects to lose over $100 million a year by 2030 as a result of HR 1 and its Medicaid cuts, a spokesperson \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12068383/alameda-health-system-to-lay-off-hundreds-in-january-after-massive-federal-cuts\">previously told KQED\u003c/a>. Medicaid payments make up about 60% of the health system’s revenue.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12074475\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12074475\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/022426_ALAMEDA-COUNTY-HEALTH-CUTS-_GH_015-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/022426_ALAMEDA-COUNTY-HEALTH-CUTS-_GH_015-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/022426_ALAMEDA-COUNTY-HEALTH-CUTS-_GH_015-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/022426_ALAMEDA-COUNTY-HEALTH-CUTS-_GH_015-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Alameda County Supervisor Nate Miley, who represents District 4, speaks during a resident physician “unity break” outside Highland Hospital in Oakland on Feb. 24, 2026. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Miley, who leads the Board of Supervisors’ health committee, said he met with AHS leaders last week and sees a path for the county to come up with funding to suspend the layoffs — at least in the short term.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The current estimate, he said, is that AHS needs between $44 million and $52 million to hold back layoffs for a year. AHS officials confirmed that they are in conversations with the county “about ways they can help us, given the extensive funding cuts we’re facing,” but wouldn’t confirm the figures Miley provided, saying it was “premature.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“My hope is the county is going to be able to kick in at least the initial $11 [million] to $13 million so that we can suspend the layoffs for a period of time,” Miley said.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"postid": "news_12072837",
"hero": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/020926_KAISERSTRIKE_8137B-KQED.jpg",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>He aims to create a working group made up of labor leaders, county staff, supervisors and Alameda Health System administrators and trustees to develop a more long-term plan.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Miley suggested that revenue from \u003ca href=\"https://www.acgov.org/board/bos_calendar/documents/MeasureWAllocationPresentation.pdf\">Measures W\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://budget.alamedacountyca.gov/Content/pdf/FY24-25/FY2024-25ProposedBudget-7_10_24.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com\">and A\u003c/a> — sales taxes approved by voters to raise money for medical and essential services, among other things — could help offset some of the cuts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He also floated the idea of the county easing up, at least temporarily, on repayment of what’s known as the “net negative balance,” essentially a county line of credit that Alameda Health System uses to cover expenses when bills come due before large state or federal reimbursements arrive.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There are avenues we can pursue,” he said, noting that cuts to non-safety-net services might be left standing. “There might be some things that are good to have but are not necessary.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Supervisor Nikki Fortunato Bas agreed that the county can likely stanch the bleeding in the near term, but she emphasized that the real solutions are systemic: “It’s about single payer. It’s about making sure that we close the loophole in Prop. 13 and really address how resources and wealth are distributed in our country, as well as our state and our communities.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12074473\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12074473\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/022426_ALAMEDA-COUNTY-HEALTH-CUTS-_GH_007-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/022426_ALAMEDA-COUNTY-HEALTH-CUTS-_GH_007-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/022426_ALAMEDA-COUNTY-HEALTH-CUTS-_GH_007-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/022426_ALAMEDA-COUNTY-HEALTH-CUTS-_GH_007-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Nikki Fortunato Bas, a member of the Alameda County Board of Supervisors, speaks during a resident physician “unity break” outside Highland Hospital in Oakland on Feb. 24, 2026. Physicians cited layoffs, staffing shortages and contract negotiations with Alameda Health System. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In the meantime, she said she would seek to hold AHS accountable for doing everything possible to raise revenue and ensure officials there are “very clear and thoughtful about what they’re looking at, and that they’re actually talking in good faith with our labor partners to make sure that we’re addressing all the potential impacts.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some AHS employees and their unions have criticized system executives for acting rashly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“These layoffs are anticipatory,” said Dr. Elijah Lustig, a resident physician at Highland Hospital and union leader with the Committee of Interns and Residents, part of Service Employees International Union.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They’re not talking to our department heads before instituting cuts or proposing layoffs,” he said of the process. “The people who are deciding who gets fired, frankly, do not have a good grasp on how this hospital runs, on what services are crucial, on what services are impacted.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12074474\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12074474\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/022426_ALAMEDA-COUNTY-HEALTH-CUTS-_GH_010-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/022426_ALAMEDA-COUNTY-HEALTH-CUTS-_GH_010-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/022426_ALAMEDA-COUNTY-HEALTH-CUTS-_GH_010-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/022426_ALAMEDA-COUNTY-HEALTH-CUTS-_GH_010-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Wilma Chan Highland Hospital Campus is seen through flowering branches in Oakland on Feb. 24, 2026. The hospital is part of Alameda Health System. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In a statement, AHS said it “must take a proactive approach” to reducing costs. “We do not approach this painful decision lightly,” it said. “However, AHS reasonably predicts that it will run out of funds within six months, by August of 2026, if it does not act now.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wednesday’s hearing is required by law to give the public an opportunity to comment on the proposed cuts to health care services. Supervisors won’t take any action there, but Miley said he hopes the board will reach a decision on allocating funding to prevent layoffs as soon as March 3.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The hearing takes place at 3 p.m. at the Alameda County Administration Building, Board of Supervisors’ Chambers, Fifth Floor, Room 512, 1221 Oak St.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/news/12074462/alameda-county-officials-look-to-stave-off-mass-hospital-layoffs-as-medicaid-cuts-loom",
"authors": [
"11276"
],
"categories": [
"news_457",
"news_34551",
"news_28250",
"news_8"
],
"tags": [
"news_18848",
"news_260",
"news_18352",
"news_27626",
"news_18543",
"news_35118",
"news_19904"
],
"featImg": "news_12074472",
"label": "news"
},
"news_12074453": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "news_12074453",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12074453",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1771977540000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "yosemite-park-ranger-who-was-fired-after-hanging-transgender-flag-files-lawsuit",
"title": "Yosemite Park Ranger Who Was Fired After Hanging Transgender Flag Files Lawsuit",
"publishDate": 1771977540,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "Yosemite Park Ranger Who Was Fired After Hanging Transgender Flag Files Lawsuit | KQED",
"labelTerm": {
"site": "news"
},
"content": "\u003cp>A Yosemite National Park ranger and biologist who was \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12053078/yosemite-biologist-fired-after-hanging-transgender-pride-flag-from-el-capitan\">fired last year\u003c/a> after hanging a transgender pride flag on El Capitan has filed a civil rights lawsuit against the Department of the Interior.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last spring, SJ Joslin and several others lugged the 58-pound flag up the imposing granite wall and flew it on a heart-shaped feature of the rock for several hours. Joslin did so in an off-duty capacity, they said in an interview with KQED last year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Then, in August, Joslin received a termination letter, which said they had “failed to demonstrate acceptable conduct.” At the time, a National Park Service representative told KQED it was “pursuing administrative action against multiple employees for failing to follow National Park Service regulations” and that there had been multiple “unauthorized demonstrations involving El Capitan,” which require a permit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Joslin told KQED in August that flying the flag was not a demonstration but a celebration of their transgender identity. They criticized the park service for taking action against them but not others who have similarly displayed flags on the prominent rock wall facing Yosemite Valley.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://peer.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/2_23_26-Joslin-v-DOI-Complaint.pdf\">complaint\u003c/a>, filed on Monday, points out a “tradition” of flying flags across Yosemite — none of which, to Joslin and her team’s knowledge, have led to any legal or other consequences.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11947774\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11947774\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/RS64733_GettyImages-1244209043-qut.jpg\" alt=\"A view of El Capitan in Yosemite, a sheer rock face with a bright blue sky behind it. An orange car drives on the road in the foreground.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/RS64733_GettyImages-1244209043-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/RS64733_GettyImages-1244209043-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/RS64733_GettyImages-1244209043-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/RS64733_GettyImages-1244209043-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/RS64733_GettyImages-1244209043-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A view of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park on Oct. 23, 2022. \u003ccite>(Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Nobody had ever been disciplined before, much less fired and subject to criminal investigation,” said Paula Dinerstein, senior counsel at Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, which is representing Joslin.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The question of whether or not it was a demonstration also doesn’t matter, Dinerstein said, because Joslin’s First Amendment rights were violated.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our claim is that the only reason that SJ and their fellow climbers were singled out was because of the message affirming transgender rights,” she said.[aside postID=news_12053078 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/YosemiteTransFlagGetty.jpg']The lawsuit also alleges that Joslin’s rights under the Privacy Act were violated, stemming from claims that the National Park Service’s records describing Joslin’s actions include false or harmful information, Dinerstein said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While the Department of the Interior would not comment on the specific case, a spokesperson emphasized in a statement to KQED that department officials “take the protection of the park’s resources and the experience of our visitors very seriously and will not tolerate violations of laws and regulations that impact those resources and experiences.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“No matter the cause, demonstrating without a permit outside of designated First-Amendment areas detracts from the visitor experience and the protection of the park,” the statement said. “To safeguard the protection of visitors, visitor experiences, and park resources, many demonstrations require a permit.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dinerstein also noted that the National Park Service told Joslin it had opened a criminal investigation, which the complaint in the suit calls part of a “vindictive campaign” that “continues to chill their expressive conduct and speech.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dinerstein said that because they filed a preliminary injunction, the parties are meeting now with lawyers from the Department of the Interior to set a schedule to begin legal proceedings.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "SJ Joslin lost their job last year after hanging the trans pride flag on El Capitan. Their lawsuit alleges First Amendment and Privacy Act violations.",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1771978383,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 14,
"wordCount": 566
},
"headData": {
"title": "Yosemite Park Ranger Who Was Fired After Hanging Transgender Flag Files Lawsuit | KQED",
"description": "SJ Joslin lost their job last year after hanging the trans pride flag on El Capitan. Their lawsuit alleges First Amendment and Privacy Act violations.",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "NewsArticle",
"headline": "Yosemite Park Ranger Who Was Fired After Hanging Transgender Flag Files Lawsuit",
"datePublished": "2026-02-24T15:59:00-08:00",
"dateModified": "2026-02-24T16:13:03-08:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"isAccessibleForFree": "True",
"publisher": {
"@type": "NewsMediaOrganization",
"@id": "https://www.kqed.org/#organization",
"name": "KQED",
"logo": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"url": "https://www.kqed.org",
"sameAs": [
"https://www.facebook.com/KQED",
"https://twitter.com/KQED",
"https://www.instagram.com/kqed/",
"https://www.tiktok.com/@kqedofficial",
"https://www.linkedin.com/company/kqed",
"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeC0IOo7i1P_61zVUWbJ4nw"
]
}
}
},
"primaryCategory": {
"termId": 6188,
"slug": "law-and-justice",
"name": "Law and Justice"
},
"sticky": false,
"nprStoryId": "kqed-12074453",
"templateType": "standard",
"featuredImageType": "standard",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/news/12074453/yosemite-park-ranger-who-was-fired-after-hanging-transgender-flag-files-lawsuit",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>A Yosemite National Park ranger and biologist who was \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12053078/yosemite-biologist-fired-after-hanging-transgender-pride-flag-from-el-capitan\">fired last year\u003c/a> after hanging a transgender pride flag on El Capitan has filed a civil rights lawsuit against the Department of the Interior.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last spring, SJ Joslin and several others lugged the 58-pound flag up the imposing granite wall and flew it on a heart-shaped feature of the rock for several hours. Joslin did so in an off-duty capacity, they said in an interview with KQED last year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Then, in August, Joslin received a termination letter, which said they had “failed to demonstrate acceptable conduct.” At the time, a National Park Service representative told KQED it was “pursuing administrative action against multiple employees for failing to follow National Park Service regulations” and that there had been multiple “unauthorized demonstrations involving El Capitan,” which require a permit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Joslin told KQED in August that flying the flag was not a demonstration but a celebration of their transgender identity. They criticized the park service for taking action against them but not others who have similarly displayed flags on the prominent rock wall facing Yosemite Valley.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://peer.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/2_23_26-Joslin-v-DOI-Complaint.pdf\">complaint\u003c/a>, filed on Monday, points out a “tradition” of flying flags across Yosemite — none of which, to Joslin and her team’s knowledge, have led to any legal or other consequences.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11947774\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11947774\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/RS64733_GettyImages-1244209043-qut.jpg\" alt=\"A view of El Capitan in Yosemite, a sheer rock face with a bright blue sky behind it. An orange car drives on the road in the foreground.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/RS64733_GettyImages-1244209043-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/RS64733_GettyImages-1244209043-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/RS64733_GettyImages-1244209043-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/RS64733_GettyImages-1244209043-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/04/RS64733_GettyImages-1244209043-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A view of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park on Oct. 23, 2022. \u003ccite>(Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Nobody had ever been disciplined before, much less fired and subject to criminal investigation,” said Paula Dinerstein, senior counsel at Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, which is representing Joslin.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The question of whether or not it was a demonstration also doesn’t matter, Dinerstein said, because Joslin’s First Amendment rights were violated.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our claim is that the only reason that SJ and their fellow climbers were singled out was because of the message affirming transgender rights,” she said.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"postid": "news_12053078",
"hero": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/YosemiteTransFlagGetty.jpg",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>The lawsuit also alleges that Joslin’s rights under the Privacy Act were violated, stemming from claims that the National Park Service’s records describing Joslin’s actions include false or harmful information, Dinerstein said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While the Department of the Interior would not comment on the specific case, a spokesperson emphasized in a statement to KQED that department officials “take the protection of the park’s resources and the experience of our visitors very seriously and will not tolerate violations of laws and regulations that impact those resources and experiences.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“No matter the cause, demonstrating without a permit outside of designated First-Amendment areas detracts from the visitor experience and the protection of the park,” the statement said. “To safeguard the protection of visitors, visitor experiences, and park resources, many demonstrations require a permit.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dinerstein also noted that the National Park Service told Joslin it had opened a criminal investigation, which the complaint in the suit calls part of a “vindictive campaign” that “continues to chill their expressive conduct and speech.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dinerstein said that because they filed a preliminary injunction, the parties are meeting now with lawyers from the Department of the Interior to set a schedule to begin legal proceedings.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/news/12074453/yosemite-park-ranger-who-was-fired-after-hanging-transgender-flag-files-lawsuit",
"authors": [
"11956"
],
"categories": [
"news_31795",
"news_34551",
"news_6188",
"news_8",
"news_13"
],
"tags": [
"news_32707",
"news_18538",
"news_4750",
"news_35888",
"news_19904",
"news_21891",
"news_20004",
"news_2486",
"news_35628",
"news_17603",
"news_4746"
],
"featImg": "news_12074490",
"label": "news"
},
"news_12074265": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "news_12074265",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12074265",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1771956175000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "widespread-kaiser-strike-to-end-after-4-weeks-with-no-deal-yet",
"title": "Widespread Kaiser Strike Ends After 4 Weeks With No Full Deal Yet",
"publishDate": 1771956175,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "Widespread Kaiser Strike Ends After 4 Weeks With No Full Deal Yet | KQED",
"labelTerm": {
"site": "news"
},
"content": "\u003cp>A four-week strike by thousands of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/kaiser-permanente\">Kaiser Permanente\u003c/a> health care workers in California and Hawaii ended Tuesday morning, even though no full contract deal has been reached.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The walkout \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12071014/kaiser-strike-sees-thousands-walk-out-in-california-this-time-with-no-end-in-sight\">initially involved\u003c/a> up to 31,000 nurses, physician assistants, physical therapists, optometrists and others. Following significant movement at the bargaining table over the weekend, according to the union, no picket lines were held Monday as return-to-work agreements were finalized.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We decided to end this because we were making meaningful progress at the tables. And returning to work allows us to closely deal with the issues, the few that are still outstanding, while getting back to taking care of our patients,” said Elizabeth Hawkins, secretary of the United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nurses and other health care workers who walked picket lines several days a week are now expected to return to clinics and hospitals as early as Tuesday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a statement, Kaiser, which hired contingency staffers during the strike, said it was working to schedule returning employees over the coming days.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Oakland-based health care organization said union leadership recently accepted an across-the-board 21.5% wage increase over four years that Kaiser had offered since October 2025. The union sought a 25% raise.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073903\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12073903\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00368_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00368_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00368_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00368_TV-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Workers on strike at the picket line outside Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center in Oakland on Feb. 19, 2026. Kaiser workers on the picket lines have gone without their paychecks for four weeks, and many are facing financial and other difficulties. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“We have remained committed to reaching agreements that recognize the vital contributions of our employees while ensuring excellent, affordable care for our members,” Kaiser’s statement said. “Importantly, the increase is higher than any other health care provider in the country and keeps our employees at above market pay and among the best paid caregivers in the country.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As the strike dragged on, the nation’s largest private nonprofit health care organization drew a hard line, maintaining that anything higher than a 21.5% raise would be unsustainable and lead it to increase premiums for its more than 9 million customers in California. The union said it acquiesced on wages because Kaiser agreed to additional improvements in safe staffing, recruitment and retention.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Both parties have been focused on completing contracts for each of dozens of local units forming UNAC/UHCP, Hawkins said. Kaiser walked away from bargaining on a long-standing national contract in December, a move the union calls unlawful and said partly led to the strike.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Pressure had been mounting on both parties to end the walkout, which began Jan. 26 and was dubbed the largest open-ended strike by nurses and other health care workers in the U.S. Top priorities in negotiations for Kaiser employees have been staffing levels and compensation, common concerns for health care workers nationwide.[aside postID=news_12073887 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS01224_TV-KQED.jpg']The company reassigned non-picketing staffers, rescheduled non-urgent surgeries and modified other appointments at affected locations. But some patients were frustrated by \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12072837/kaiser-strike-delays-surgeries-disrupts-care-as-more-workers-walk-off-jobs\">delays\u003c/a> in their operations, especially in Southern California, where most striking union members are located.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the picket lines, several workers told KQED they were \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073887/californias-striking-kaiser-workers-without-pay-for-weeks-feel-the-financial-pressure\">financially and emotionally stressed\u003c/a> by forgoing their paychecks for weeks, as the union did not offer assistance via a strike fund.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last week, Kaiser said about 40% of nurses and pharmacists across striking locations had returned to their jobs, though union officials countered that those figures were inflated.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“While they will keep negotiating, they are losing leverage by going back to work, which suggests that they didn’t feel they had the capacity to sustain the strike any longer,” said Rebecca Givan, an associate professor of labor studies and employment relations at Rutgers University who specializes in the health care industry. “This is a tough outcome for these workers.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Givan contrasted the outcome in California and Hawaii with a weeks-long strike by about 15,000 nurses in New York City, which led to significant employer concessions, including maintenance of health care benefits and improvements to pay and staffing, before workers agreed to return to their jobs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Michelle Baird, a nurse midwife at Kaiser Oakland, said she would have preferred to end the strike with a contract deal in hand, but she’s cautiously optimistic about what’s left of the bargaining progress.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073902\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12073902\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00295_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00295_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00295_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00295_TV-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Michelle Baird, a nurse midwife from Kaiser Oakland, poses for a portrait while on strike at the picket line outside Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center in Oakland on Feb. 19, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Kaiser really saw how united we were and how strong we were, and even though we don’t have a contract in place now, I believe that my employer is negotiating in good faith and has been at the bargaining table,” said Baird, 53. ”I’m definitely feeling more like there’s a good chance of getting the things that we need in a contract, even if we don’t get everything we want.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Baird said she was looking forward to seeing patients and regaining her income. She’s nervous about the strain that the long strike could have on her relationships with co-workers who pitched in more hours to continue caring for patients. Still, she feels the strike will likely lead to improvements for patients.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Even with the disruptions in patient care, if we have a solid contract, we’ll have much more staff continuity. We’ll have people who are dedicated to being there, it will decrease the risks of turnover. And I think in the long run, it’s better for patients,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073905\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12073905\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS01145_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS01145_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS01145_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS01145_TV-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Workers on strike at the picket line outside Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center in Oakland on Feb. 19, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Hawkins, the UNAC/UHCP secretary, said the union had not held a walkout at Kaiser for about 45 years prior to last year, when two much shorter strikes were held.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Labor experts said the company had a shining reputation as an employer with positive labor relations, but the recent walkout suggested a turning point for Kaiser, which has expanded to eight states and the District of Columbia.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kaiser, which has dismissed employee claims of chronic understaffing and long delays for patients, said its health care workers are already paid on average more than those at other companies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Health care workers in California often earn more money than in other states, which labor experts say is due to the state’s high cost of living and unionization in the industry. Registered nurses, for example, make an annual \u003ca href=\"https://www.bls.gov/oes/2019/may/oes291141.htm\">mean of $113,200\u003c/a> in California, significantly higher than the national mean of $77,500, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "The large, open-ended strike had led to frustrations by some patients over delayed care as well as difficulties for workers who went weeks without a paycheck.",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1771958809,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 24,
"wordCount": 1176
},
"headData": {
"title": "Widespread Kaiser Strike Ends After 4 Weeks With No Full Deal Yet | KQED",
"description": "The large, open-ended strike had led to frustrations by some patients over delayed care as well as difficulties for workers who went weeks without a paycheck.",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "NewsArticle",
"headline": "Widespread Kaiser Strike Ends After 4 Weeks With No Full Deal Yet",
"datePublished": "2026-02-24T10:02:55-08:00",
"dateModified": "2026-02-24T10:46:49-08:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"isAccessibleForFree": "True",
"publisher": {
"@type": "NewsMediaOrganization",
"@id": "https://www.kqed.org/#organization",
"name": "KQED",
"logo": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"url": "https://www.kqed.org",
"sameAs": [
"https://www.facebook.com/KQED",
"https://twitter.com/KQED",
"https://www.instagram.com/kqed/",
"https://www.tiktok.com/@kqedofficial",
"https://www.linkedin.com/company/kqed",
"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeC0IOo7i1P_61zVUWbJ4nw"
]
}
}
},
"primaryCategory": {
"termId": 34551,
"slug": "labor",
"name": "Labor"
},
"sticky": false,
"nprStoryId": "kqed-12074265",
"templateType": "standard",
"featuredImageType": "standard",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/news/12074265/widespread-kaiser-strike-to-end-after-4-weeks-with-no-deal-yet",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>A four-week strike by thousands of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/kaiser-permanente\">Kaiser Permanente\u003c/a> health care workers in California and Hawaii ended Tuesday morning, even though no full contract deal has been reached.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The walkout \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12071014/kaiser-strike-sees-thousands-walk-out-in-california-this-time-with-no-end-in-sight\">initially involved\u003c/a> up to 31,000 nurses, physician assistants, physical therapists, optometrists and others. Following significant movement at the bargaining table over the weekend, according to the union, no picket lines were held Monday as return-to-work agreements were finalized.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We decided to end this because we were making meaningful progress at the tables. And returning to work allows us to closely deal with the issues, the few that are still outstanding, while getting back to taking care of our patients,” said Elizabeth Hawkins, secretary of the United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nurses and other health care workers who walked picket lines several days a week are now expected to return to clinics and hospitals as early as Tuesday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a statement, Kaiser, which hired contingency staffers during the strike, said it was working to schedule returning employees over the coming days.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Oakland-based health care organization said union leadership recently accepted an across-the-board 21.5% wage increase over four years that Kaiser had offered since October 2025. The union sought a 25% raise.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073903\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12073903\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00368_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00368_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00368_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00368_TV-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Workers on strike at the picket line outside Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center in Oakland on Feb. 19, 2026. Kaiser workers on the picket lines have gone without their paychecks for four weeks, and many are facing financial and other difficulties. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“We have remained committed to reaching agreements that recognize the vital contributions of our employees while ensuring excellent, affordable care for our members,” Kaiser’s statement said. “Importantly, the increase is higher than any other health care provider in the country and keeps our employees at above market pay and among the best paid caregivers in the country.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As the strike dragged on, the nation’s largest private nonprofit health care organization drew a hard line, maintaining that anything higher than a 21.5% raise would be unsustainable and lead it to increase premiums for its more than 9 million customers in California. The union said it acquiesced on wages because Kaiser agreed to additional improvements in safe staffing, recruitment and retention.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Both parties have been focused on completing contracts for each of dozens of local units forming UNAC/UHCP, Hawkins said. Kaiser walked away from bargaining on a long-standing national contract in December, a move the union calls unlawful and said partly led to the strike.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Pressure had been mounting on both parties to end the walkout, which began Jan. 26 and was dubbed the largest open-ended strike by nurses and other health care workers in the U.S. Top priorities in negotiations for Kaiser employees have been staffing levels and compensation, common concerns for health care workers nationwide.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"postid": "news_12073887",
"hero": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS01224_TV-KQED.jpg",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>The company reassigned non-picketing staffers, rescheduled non-urgent surgeries and modified other appointments at affected locations. But some patients were frustrated by \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12072837/kaiser-strike-delays-surgeries-disrupts-care-as-more-workers-walk-off-jobs\">delays\u003c/a> in their operations, especially in Southern California, where most striking union members are located.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the picket lines, several workers told KQED they were \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073887/californias-striking-kaiser-workers-without-pay-for-weeks-feel-the-financial-pressure\">financially and emotionally stressed\u003c/a> by forgoing their paychecks for weeks, as the union did not offer assistance via a strike fund.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last week, Kaiser said about 40% of nurses and pharmacists across striking locations had returned to their jobs, though union officials countered that those figures were inflated.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“While they will keep negotiating, they are losing leverage by going back to work, which suggests that they didn’t feel they had the capacity to sustain the strike any longer,” said Rebecca Givan, an associate professor of labor studies and employment relations at Rutgers University who specializes in the health care industry. “This is a tough outcome for these workers.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Givan contrasted the outcome in California and Hawaii with a weeks-long strike by about 15,000 nurses in New York City, which led to significant employer concessions, including maintenance of health care benefits and improvements to pay and staffing, before workers agreed to return to their jobs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Michelle Baird, a nurse midwife at Kaiser Oakland, said she would have preferred to end the strike with a contract deal in hand, but she’s cautiously optimistic about what’s left of the bargaining progress.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073902\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12073902\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00295_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00295_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00295_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00295_TV-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Michelle Baird, a nurse midwife from Kaiser Oakland, poses for a portrait while on strike at the picket line outside Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center in Oakland on Feb. 19, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Kaiser really saw how united we were and how strong we were, and even though we don’t have a contract in place now, I believe that my employer is negotiating in good faith and has been at the bargaining table,” said Baird, 53. ”I’m definitely feeling more like there’s a good chance of getting the things that we need in a contract, even if we don’t get everything we want.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Baird said she was looking forward to seeing patients and regaining her income. She’s nervous about the strain that the long strike could have on her relationships with co-workers who pitched in more hours to continue caring for patients. Still, she feels the strike will likely lead to improvements for patients.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Even with the disruptions in patient care, if we have a solid contract, we’ll have much more staff continuity. We’ll have people who are dedicated to being there, it will decrease the risks of turnover. And I think in the long run, it’s better for patients,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073905\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12073905\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS01145_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS01145_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS01145_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS01145_TV-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Workers on strike at the picket line outside Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center in Oakland on Feb. 19, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Hawkins, the UNAC/UHCP secretary, said the union had not held a walkout at Kaiser for about 45 years prior to last year, when two much shorter strikes were held.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Labor experts said the company had a shining reputation as an employer with positive labor relations, but the recent walkout suggested a turning point for Kaiser, which has expanded to eight states and the District of Columbia.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kaiser, which has dismissed employee claims of chronic understaffing and long delays for patients, said its health care workers are already paid on average more than those at other companies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Health care workers in California often earn more money than in other states, which labor experts say is due to the state’s high cost of living and unionization in the industry. Registered nurses, for example, make an annual \u003ca href=\"https://www.bls.gov/oes/2019/may/oes291141.htm\">mean of $113,200\u003c/a> in California, significantly higher than the national mean of $77,500, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "floatright"
},
"numeric": [
"floatright"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/news/12074265/widespread-kaiser-strike-to-end-after-4-weeks-with-no-deal-yet",
"authors": [
"8659"
],
"categories": [
"news_457",
"news_34551",
"news_8"
],
"tags": [
"news_1386",
"news_18543",
"news_35118",
"news_24939",
"news_421",
"news_33310",
"news_19904",
"news_24590"
],
"featImg": "news_12073904",
"label": "news"
},
"news_12073887": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "news_12073887",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12073887",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1771611359000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "californias-striking-kaiser-workers-without-pay-for-weeks-feel-the-financial-pressure",
"title": "California’s Striking Kaiser Workers, Without Pay for Weeks, Feel the Financial Pressure",
"publishDate": 1771611359,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "California’s Striking Kaiser Workers, Without Pay for Weeks, Feel the Financial Pressure | KQED",
"labelTerm": {
"site": "news"
},
"content": "\u003cp>For the last month, Chris Pyper and his partner, a fellow \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/kaiser-permanente\">Kaiser Permanente\u003c/a> physician assistant, have gone without paychecks while walking picket lines outside the nonprofit health care giant’s facilities in Oakland, Santa Clara and south Sacramento.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The couple is surviving on savings, but they’re not sure how much longer they can forgo both of their incomes and still pay the mortgage for the Oakland home they recently bought.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s a lot of pressure,” said Pyper, 39, as rain drenched him and dozens of picketers outside Kaiser’s Oakland Medical Center this week. “It’s a sacrifice. Hoping that this is going to produce a good contract. And I’m willing to stay out as long as we need to get a fair contract.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As an estimated tens of thousands of Kaiser health care employees stretch \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12071014/kaiser-strike-sees-thousands-walk-out-in-california-this-time-with-no-end-in-sight\">their open-ended strike\u003c/a> in California and Hawaii into a fourth week, several told KQED they worry about how they’ll afford rent, student loan payments, child care expenses and other bills if the union and employer fail to reach a deal soon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Their union, which led two much shorter walkouts at Kaiser last fall, is not offering financial assistance for the nurses, physician assistants, physical therapists, pharmacists and others relinquishing wages to strike. Some said they are dipping into retirement accounts, increasing credit card debt or considering part-time jobs elsewhere to make ends meet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yet, even with dwindling or depleted savings accounts, the strikers said they remain determined to hold the line for their livelihoods and job improvements they hope will benefit patients.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073902\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12073902\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00295_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00295_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00295_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00295_TV-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Michelle Baird, a nurse midwife from Kaiser Oakland, poses for a portrait while on strike at the picket line outside Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center in Oakland on Feb. 19, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“I am constantly in this state of low-grade panic,” said Michelle Baird, a nurse midwife who has delivered babies and cared for mothers since 2015 at Kaiser facilities in Oakland, Berkeley and Pinole. “I really am good at not sounding or looking panicked because the work I do needs calmness, but I don’t feel calm at all.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A self-described pessimist, the 53-year-old steeled herself early for the possibility that Kaiser could take months to make significant concessions in bargaining. In preparation, Baird worked as many shifts as she could before she and up to 31,000 health care professionals walked off their jobs on Jan. 26.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, Baird said her household in Berkeley has already canceled subscriptions, stopped online shopping and quit eating out at restaurants. She hopes she won’t have to borrow against her daughter’s college fund and is looking for a job that she could add to her schedule, even after the walkout ends.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Really, it’s just tightening the belt, pinching pennies and worrying a lot,” said Baird, who added that her top priorities have been ensuring fair pay and keeping affordable health care benefits when she eventually retires.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘They’ve forgotten the health care workers’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The employees want Kaiser, the nation’s largest private nonprofit health care organization, to invest more revenues in its workforce and allow more worker input on staffing and scheduling, which they said would decrease wait times for patients and improve care. The company has largely dismissed claims of chronic understaffing or deteriorating services, and it said anything more than its offer for a 21.5% wage increase over four years would be unsustainable and force it to increase premiums for customers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kaiser, which has expanded operations to eight states and the District of Columbia, made a net income of \u003ca href=\"https://about.kaiserpermanente.org/news/press-release-archive/kaiser-permanente-risant-health-report-2025-financial-results\">$9.3 billion\u003c/a> last year, driven largely by investment gains, and nearly $13 billion in 2024, while holding reserves estimated at $66 billion or more. The Oakland-based company contends its reserves should pay for pensions, building maintenance and other long-term financial commitments, as well as serve as a rainy day fund.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073904\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12073904\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00420_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00420_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00420_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00420_TV-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Chris Pyper (left), a physician assistant from Kaiser San Leandro, marches while on strike outside Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center in Oakland on Feb. 19, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But employees on the picket line doubt that argument. Pyper, who works in the orthopedic surgery department in San Leandro, said Kaiser has pushed hard to cut the retirement, health care and other benefits of newer union members like himself, leaving him no choice but to strike.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Kaiser is sitting on a lot of money they’ve made over the past few years,” said Pyper, who is paying monthly for student loans. “They’re expanding in the other states, and it just kind of feels like they’ve forgotten the health care workers who are doing a lot of the patient care.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a statement, Kaiser said its employees “deserve a fair contract that reflects their value.” The company, which stopped bargaining on a long-standing national contract including big-ticket issues such as across-the-board wage increases, said it’s making progress with the smaller, local units forming the United Nurses Association of California/Union of Healthcare Professionals.[aside postID=news_12073839 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/038_KQED_KaiserStrikeOakland_08192022_qed-2.jpg']“Once we reach agreement at each of these respective local tables on the open issues from the national table, we will be ready to close each agreement and get the contracts signed,” Kaiser’s statement said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kaiser has asked a federal court to declare it is not obligated to negotiate a national deal with UNAC/UHCP. The company argues that the union broke contractual commitments to work collaboratively, including by \u003ca href=\"https://www.unacuhcp.org/news/profits-over-patients-new-report-details-kaisers-financial-practices-and-patient-harm/\">issuing a report\u003c/a> last month alleging that Kaiser prioritizes profits over patient care and invests in private prison companies that run immigration detention centers. Kaiser also said the union withheld information it needed to reduce disruptions to patient care during the current strike.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>UNAC/UHCP has called Kaiser’s move to walk away from months of national bargaining unlawful, and it opposes the company’s proposal to shift all of its bargaining to dozens of local units. Executive secretary Elizabeth Hawkins said the union is considering its options to resolve issues related to staffing levels, workflow and patient access that have left some Kaiser patients waiting months to get specialty medical care.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’ve been looking at multiple avenues to settle this strike,” said Hawkins, a former registered nurse at Kaiser for 31 years. “It’s a very fluid, dynamic process that we’re going through. And right now, I’m not prepared to speculate on how this is going to unfold.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This month, Kaiser \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073484/kaiser-workers-say-patients-deserve-better-mental-health-care-after-31m-settlement\">agreed to pay\u003c/a> $31 million to resolve \u003ca href=\"https://www.dol.gov/newsroom/releases/ebsa/ebsa20260210\">federal investigations\u003c/a> over long wait times and other problems for millions of California patients seeking mental health and substance use care. The deal comes two years after the company settled with the state for $200 million over similar issues. Kaiser therapists in Northern California with a separate union are about to finish voting on whether to authorize a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073839/kaiser-therapists-take-key-step-toward-1-day-strike\">one-day strike\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Problems mount as strike persists\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, pressure is growing on Kaiser and UNAC/UHCP to compromise as the current walkout drags on.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kaiser said more employees are crossing picket lines and returning to work, including more than 40% of nurses and pharmacists across striking locations. Hawkins called those figures inflated, adding that most members plan to keep withholding their labor as long as necessary.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kaiser, which is likely spending millions of dollars on contingency workers to help cover staffing shortages left by striking workers, faces criticism from \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12072837/kaiser-strike-delays-surgeries-disrupts-care-as-more-workers-walk-off-jobs\">patients reporting delayed\u003c/a> surgeries and treatments due to the labor conflict. Physicians and other employees continuing to work inside hospitals and clinics have also been left picking up the slack for weeks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073905\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12073905\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS01145_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS01145_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS01145_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS01145_TV-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Workers on strike at the picket line outside Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center in Oakland on Feb. 19, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Maggie Burtch, a nurse midwife in Antioch and Walnut Creek, said that in addition to the financial stress her family faces to pay for their mortgage and child care, she’s concerned the long walkout will strain her relationships with obstetrics physicians and other co-workers who are not on strike and continue to attend to patients.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This has been really tough on our OB team, who also have kids at home, and I hear they’re working double the hours that they normally work to cover us, and that doesn’t feel great,” said Burtch, 41, the mother of two young children. “So I’m really worried about what that’s going to feel like when we reenter. What are the vibes going to be? I’m worried it’s going to feel different.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, Burtch believes walking off her job was the right choice. She’s been frustrated by the pace of negotiations and disappointed by what she described as Kaiser’s hard-line stance during the strike and negotiations with midwives, who unionized to maintain their benefits.[aside postID=news_12072837 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/020926_KAISERSTRIKE_8137B-KQED.jpg']\u003cstrong>“\u003c/strong>It’s really made me rethink whether or not this is the place that I want to continue to work, even though I love what I do,” said Burtch, who lives in Oakland. “But it’s hard to work a job where you just feel so undervalued.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Being away from patients also pains Brianca Hutchins, a pediatric occupational therapist who helps rehabilitate children with disabilities and special needs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The 32-year-old, who often refers to her patients as “kiddos,” said wait times for patients at Kaiser are a top concern. She has been stretched thin trying to see up to 11 patients with complex medical histories per shift, and communicate with their families and providers to follow up on their care.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We are drowning time-wise,” said Hutchins of her team at Kaiser San José. “We really want support with workload and staffing.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After all this time on picket lines, she appreciates getting to know other workers from different departments on strike, sharing camaraderie and mutual support. But her stress is ramping up, she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m not sleeping. My anxiety is through the roof,” Hutchins said. “Now that we’re in week four, the guilt for leaving my patients is in full swing. And then money-wise, I finally looked at my bank account and cried.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "As the large strike by Kaiser Permanente health care workers stretches on, several said they are diving into savings, taking on debt and looking for side jobs.",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1771618212,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 32,
"wordCount": 1816
},
"headData": {
"title": "California’s Striking Kaiser Workers, Without Pay for Weeks, Feel the Financial Pressure | KQED",
"description": "As the large strike by Kaiser Permanente health care workers stretches on, several said they are diving into savings, taking on debt and looking for side jobs.",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "NewsArticle",
"headline": "California’s Striking Kaiser Workers, Without Pay for Weeks, Feel the Financial Pressure",
"datePublished": "2026-02-20T10:15:59-08:00",
"dateModified": "2026-02-20T12:10:12-08:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"isAccessibleForFree": "True",
"publisher": {
"@type": "NewsMediaOrganization",
"@id": "https://www.kqed.org/#organization",
"name": "KQED",
"logo": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"url": "https://www.kqed.org",
"sameAs": [
"https://www.facebook.com/KQED",
"https://twitter.com/KQED",
"https://www.instagram.com/kqed/",
"https://www.tiktok.com/@kqedofficial",
"https://www.linkedin.com/company/kqed",
"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeC0IOo7i1P_61zVUWbJ4nw"
]
}
}
},
"primaryCategory": {
"termId": 34551,
"slug": "labor",
"name": "Labor"
},
"audioUrl": "https://traffic.omny.fm/d/clips/0af137ef-751e-4b19-a055-aaef00d2d578/ffca7e9f-6831-4[…]f-aaef00f5a073/a6149736-f99f-429f-9e3e-b3f700ff5c52/audio.mp3",
"sticky": false,
"nprStoryId": "kqed-12073887",
"templateType": "standard",
"featuredImageType": "standard",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/news/12073887/californias-striking-kaiser-workers-without-pay-for-weeks-feel-the-financial-pressure",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>For the last month, Chris Pyper and his partner, a fellow \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/kaiser-permanente\">Kaiser Permanente\u003c/a> physician assistant, have gone without paychecks while walking picket lines outside the nonprofit health care giant’s facilities in Oakland, Santa Clara and south Sacramento.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The couple is surviving on savings, but they’re not sure how much longer they can forgo both of their incomes and still pay the mortgage for the Oakland home they recently bought.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s a lot of pressure,” said Pyper, 39, as rain drenched him and dozens of picketers outside Kaiser’s Oakland Medical Center this week. “It’s a sacrifice. Hoping that this is going to produce a good contract. And I’m willing to stay out as long as we need to get a fair contract.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As an estimated tens of thousands of Kaiser health care employees stretch \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12071014/kaiser-strike-sees-thousands-walk-out-in-california-this-time-with-no-end-in-sight\">their open-ended strike\u003c/a> in California and Hawaii into a fourth week, several told KQED they worry about how they’ll afford rent, student loan payments, child care expenses and other bills if the union and employer fail to reach a deal soon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Their union, which led two much shorter walkouts at Kaiser last fall, is not offering financial assistance for the nurses, physician assistants, physical therapists, pharmacists and others relinquishing wages to strike. Some said they are dipping into retirement accounts, increasing credit card debt or considering part-time jobs elsewhere to make ends meet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yet, even with dwindling or depleted savings accounts, the strikers said they remain determined to hold the line for their livelihoods and job improvements they hope will benefit patients.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073902\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12073902\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00295_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00295_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00295_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00295_TV-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Michelle Baird, a nurse midwife from Kaiser Oakland, poses for a portrait while on strike at the picket line outside Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center in Oakland on Feb. 19, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“I am constantly in this state of low-grade panic,” said Michelle Baird, a nurse midwife who has delivered babies and cared for mothers since 2015 at Kaiser facilities in Oakland, Berkeley and Pinole. “I really am good at not sounding or looking panicked because the work I do needs calmness, but I don’t feel calm at all.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A self-described pessimist, the 53-year-old steeled herself early for the possibility that Kaiser could take months to make significant concessions in bargaining. In preparation, Baird worked as many shifts as she could before she and up to 31,000 health care professionals walked off their jobs on Jan. 26.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, Baird said her household in Berkeley has already canceled subscriptions, stopped online shopping and quit eating out at restaurants. She hopes she won’t have to borrow against her daughter’s college fund and is looking for a job that she could add to her schedule, even after the walkout ends.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Really, it’s just tightening the belt, pinching pennies and worrying a lot,” said Baird, who added that her top priorities have been ensuring fair pay and keeping affordable health care benefits when she eventually retires.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘They’ve forgotten the health care workers’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The employees want Kaiser, the nation’s largest private nonprofit health care organization, to invest more revenues in its workforce and allow more worker input on staffing and scheduling, which they said would decrease wait times for patients and improve care. The company has largely dismissed claims of chronic understaffing or deteriorating services, and it said anything more than its offer for a 21.5% wage increase over four years would be unsustainable and force it to increase premiums for customers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kaiser, which has expanded operations to eight states and the District of Columbia, made a net income of \u003ca href=\"https://about.kaiserpermanente.org/news/press-release-archive/kaiser-permanente-risant-health-report-2025-financial-results\">$9.3 billion\u003c/a> last year, driven largely by investment gains, and nearly $13 billion in 2024, while holding reserves estimated at $66 billion or more. The Oakland-based company contends its reserves should pay for pensions, building maintenance and other long-term financial commitments, as well as serve as a rainy day fund.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073904\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12073904\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00420_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00420_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00420_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS00420_TV-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Chris Pyper (left), a physician assistant from Kaiser San Leandro, marches while on strike outside Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center in Oakland on Feb. 19, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But employees on the picket line doubt that argument. Pyper, who works in the orthopedic surgery department in San Leandro, said Kaiser has pushed hard to cut the retirement, health care and other benefits of newer union members like himself, leaving him no choice but to strike.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Kaiser is sitting on a lot of money they’ve made over the past few years,” said Pyper, who is paying monthly for student loans. “They’re expanding in the other states, and it just kind of feels like they’ve forgotten the health care workers who are doing a lot of the patient care.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a statement, Kaiser said its employees “deserve a fair contract that reflects their value.” The company, which stopped bargaining on a long-standing national contract including big-ticket issues such as across-the-board wage increases, said it’s making progress with the smaller, local units forming the United Nurses Association of California/Union of Healthcare Professionals.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"postid": "news_12073839",
"hero": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/038_KQED_KaiserStrikeOakland_08192022_qed-2.jpg",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“Once we reach agreement at each of these respective local tables on the open issues from the national table, we will be ready to close each agreement and get the contracts signed,” Kaiser’s statement said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kaiser has asked a federal court to declare it is not obligated to negotiate a national deal with UNAC/UHCP. The company argues that the union broke contractual commitments to work collaboratively, including by \u003ca href=\"https://www.unacuhcp.org/news/profits-over-patients-new-report-details-kaisers-financial-practices-and-patient-harm/\">issuing a report\u003c/a> last month alleging that Kaiser prioritizes profits over patient care and invests in private prison companies that run immigration detention centers. Kaiser also said the union withheld information it needed to reduce disruptions to patient care during the current strike.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>UNAC/UHCP has called Kaiser’s move to walk away from months of national bargaining unlawful, and it opposes the company’s proposal to shift all of its bargaining to dozens of local units. Executive secretary Elizabeth Hawkins said the union is considering its options to resolve issues related to staffing levels, workflow and patient access that have left some Kaiser patients waiting months to get specialty medical care.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’ve been looking at multiple avenues to settle this strike,” said Hawkins, a former registered nurse at Kaiser for 31 years. “It’s a very fluid, dynamic process that we’re going through. And right now, I’m not prepared to speculate on how this is going to unfold.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This month, Kaiser \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073484/kaiser-workers-say-patients-deserve-better-mental-health-care-after-31m-settlement\">agreed to pay\u003c/a> $31 million to resolve \u003ca href=\"https://www.dol.gov/newsroom/releases/ebsa/ebsa20260210\">federal investigations\u003c/a> over long wait times and other problems for millions of California patients seeking mental health and substance use care. The deal comes two years after the company settled with the state for $200 million over similar issues. Kaiser therapists in Northern California with a separate union are about to finish voting on whether to authorize a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073839/kaiser-therapists-take-key-step-toward-1-day-strike\">one-day strike\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Problems mount as strike persists\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, pressure is growing on Kaiser and UNAC/UHCP to compromise as the current walkout drags on.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kaiser said more employees are crossing picket lines and returning to work, including more than 40% of nurses and pharmacists across striking locations. Hawkins called those figures inflated, adding that most members plan to keep withholding their labor as long as necessary.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kaiser, which is likely spending millions of dollars on contingency workers to help cover staffing shortages left by striking workers, faces criticism from \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12072837/kaiser-strike-delays-surgeries-disrupts-care-as-more-workers-walk-off-jobs\">patients reporting delayed\u003c/a> surgeries and treatments due to the labor conflict. Physicians and other employees continuing to work inside hospitals and clinics have also been left picking up the slack for weeks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073905\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12073905\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS01145_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS01145_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS01145_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260219-STRIKINGKAISERWORKERS01145_TV-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Workers on strike at the picket line outside Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center in Oakland on Feb. 19, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Maggie Burtch, a nurse midwife in Antioch and Walnut Creek, said that in addition to the financial stress her family faces to pay for their mortgage and child care, she’s concerned the long walkout will strain her relationships with obstetrics physicians and other co-workers who are not on strike and continue to attend to patients.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This has been really tough on our OB team, who also have kids at home, and I hear they’re working double the hours that they normally work to cover us, and that doesn’t feel great,” said Burtch, 41, the mother of two young children. “So I’m really worried about what that’s going to feel like when we reenter. What are the vibes going to be? I’m worried it’s going to feel different.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, Burtch believes walking off her job was the right choice. She’s been frustrated by the pace of negotiations and disappointed by what she described as Kaiser’s hard-line stance during the strike and negotiations with midwives, who unionized to maintain their benefits.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"postid": "news_12072837",
"hero": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/020926_KAISERSTRIKE_8137B-KQED.jpg",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cstrong>“\u003c/strong>It’s really made me rethink whether or not this is the place that I want to continue to work, even though I love what I do,” said Burtch, who lives in Oakland. “But it’s hard to work a job where you just feel so undervalued.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Being away from patients also pains Brianca Hutchins, a pediatric occupational therapist who helps rehabilitate children with disabilities and special needs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The 32-year-old, who often refers to her patients as “kiddos,” said wait times for patients at Kaiser are a top concern. She has been stretched thin trying to see up to 11 patients with complex medical histories per shift, and communicate with their families and providers to follow up on their care.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We are drowning time-wise,” said Hutchins of her team at Kaiser San José. “We really want support with workload and staffing.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After all this time on picket lines, she appreciates getting to know other workers from different departments on strike, sharing camaraderie and mutual support. But her stress is ramping up, she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m not sleeping. My anxiety is through the roof,” Hutchins said. “Now that we’re in week four, the guilt for leaving my patients is in full swing. And then money-wise, I finally looked at my bank account and cried.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "floatright"
},
"numeric": [
"floatright"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/news/12073887/californias-striking-kaiser-workers-without-pay-for-weeks-feel-the-financial-pressure",
"authors": [
"8659"
],
"categories": [
"news_457",
"news_34551",
"news_28250",
"news_8"
],
"tags": [
"news_1386",
"news_27626",
"news_18543",
"news_24939",
"news_421",
"news_33310",
"news_19904",
"news_24590"
],
"featImg": "news_12073906",
"label": "news"
},
"news_12073839": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "news_12073839",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12073839",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1771596027000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "kaiser-therapists-take-key-step-toward-1-day-strike",
"title": "Kaiser Therapists Take Key Step Toward 1-Day Strike",
"publishDate": 1771596027,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "Kaiser Therapists Take Key Step Toward 1-Day Strike | KQED",
"labelTerm": {
"site": "news"
},
"content": "\u003cp>Mental health clinicians at Kaiser locations throughout Northern California are voting through Saturday to decide whether to hold a one-day strike this spring over \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1999553/will-ai-replace-your-therapist-kaiser-wont-say-no\">proposed changes\u003c/a> to care protocols they say will diminish their working conditions or harm patients.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>About 2,400 therapists and social workers, represented by the\u003ca href=\"https://home.nuhw.org/\"> National Union of Health Care Workers\u003c/a>, have been negotiating their next contract since June, with talks reaching an impasse in recent months.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We all find ourselves confronting a Kaiser that no longer seeks input from its caregivers,” said Shay Loftus, a psychologist at Kaiser in Fairfield. “Kaiser management wants us to be cogs in their machine, but that’s not how health care, especially mental health care, works best for patients.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The small but mighty union has a track record of forcing improvements to working conditions and patient care through its advocacy. This has included backing laws that\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11891049/california-bill-would-reduce-wait-times-for-mental-health-appointments\"> mandate shorter wait times\u003c/a> for individual therapy at Kaiser and going on strike for 10 weeks in 2022 to secure more time in their schedules for administrative work, like calling patients or reviewing charts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They say Kaiser is now trying to claw back both of those wins in the current contract, in addition to setting the stage for laying off therapists or \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073484/kaiser-workers-say-patients-deserve-better-mental-health-care-after-31m-settlement\">replacing them with artificial intelligence\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073919\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12073919 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/032_KQED_KaiserStrikeOakland_08192022_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/032_KQED_KaiserStrikeOakland_08192022_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/032_KQED_KaiserStrikeOakland_08192022_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/032_KQED_KaiserStrikeOakland_08192022_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kaiser mental health care workers and supporters march from Oakland Kaiser Medical Center to Kaiser’s corporate headquarters on Friday, Aug. 19, 2022. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But the union’s top complaint centers on a new system Kaiser rolled out for triaging mental health patients in 2024 that replaces intake clinicians with unlicensed phone operators or an e-visit, where an algorithm determines the level of care based on questions the patient answers in an app or online.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Therapists say patients are funneled into non-urgent therapy when they should have been directed to intensive services or the hospital.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Telephone service reps book people in completely inappropriate slots,” said Molly Parsons, an individual and couples therapist at Kaiser’s Pleasanton clinic. “It delays care and potentially harms patients who need immediate interventions.”[aside postID=science_1999553 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/11/251126-AI-KAISER-KQED_1.jpg']The two sides are not yet aligned on wage increases, which are typically negotiated last, but the union said this strike is about seeking agreement on the non-economic issues first. A spokesperson said the union is still engaged in sporadic bargaining sessions with Kaiser and is set to meet with the company for another session next week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a statement, Kaiser said that AI tools are designed to “support — not replace — human judgment and care,” and that technology is evaluated for performance, safety, clinical usability, accuracy, equitability and satisfaction.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We believe AI has the potential to help clinicians and employees spend more time focused on patient care, improve the patient experience, and enhance fairness and quality in health outcomes,” spokesperson Lena Howland said via email. “Human assessment and clinical expertise always guide care delivery.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The union will finalize voting to authorize the strike over the weekend and said as of Thursday, about 70% of the membership had cast votes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If it garners member support, the union plans to schedule the work stoppage for later in March. They must give 10 days’ advance notice.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073923\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12073923 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/033_KQED_KaiserStrikeOakland_08192022_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/033_KQED_KaiserStrikeOakland_08192022_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/033_KQED_KaiserStrikeOakland_08192022_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/033_KQED_KaiserStrikeOakland_08192022_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kaiser mental health care workers and supporters march from Oakland Kaiser Medical Center to Kaiser’s corporate headquarters on Friday, Aug. 19, 2022. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>After striking for 10 weeks without pay over their last contract, then seeing their \u003ca href=\"https://www.healthcaredive.com/news/kaiser-permanente-mental-health-workers-contract-southern-california/747638/\">sister union\u003c/a> in Southern California call an open-ended strike that lasted more than six months, appetite for anything more than a one-day walkout was low this time around.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It doesn’t seem like members are that jazzed about an ongoing, open-ended strike,” Parsons said. “There’s a fear, not only for how that would impact us as clinicians, but a fear of how it would impact our clients and patient care. And so, a one-day strike, we’re hoping to get more people involved.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That will have less negative impact on patients, she added, “but it will show Kaiser that we’re serious about this.”\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>\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "Mental health staff throughout Northern California are deciding whether to hold a daylong walkout to protest proposed changes.",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1771543760,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 18,
"wordCount": 743
},
"headData": {
"title": "Kaiser Therapists Take Key Step Toward 1-Day Strike | KQED",
"description": "Mental health staff throughout Northern California are deciding whether to hold a daylong walkout to protest proposed changes.",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "NewsArticle",
"headline": "Kaiser Therapists Take Key Step Toward 1-Day Strike",
"datePublished": "2026-02-20T06:00:27-08:00",
"dateModified": "2026-02-19T15:29:20-08:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"isAccessibleForFree": "True",
"publisher": {
"@type": "NewsMediaOrganization",
"@id": "https://www.kqed.org/#organization",
"name": "KQED",
"logo": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"url": "https://www.kqed.org",
"sameAs": [
"https://www.facebook.com/KQED",
"https://twitter.com/KQED",
"https://www.instagram.com/kqed/",
"https://www.tiktok.com/@kqedofficial",
"https://www.linkedin.com/company/kqed",
"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeC0IOo7i1P_61zVUWbJ4nw"
]
}
}
},
"primaryCategory": {
"termId": 34551,
"slug": "labor",
"name": "Labor"
},
"sticky": false,
"templateType": "standard",
"featuredImageType": "standard",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/news/12073839/kaiser-therapists-take-key-step-toward-1-day-strike",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Mental health clinicians at Kaiser locations throughout Northern California are voting through Saturday to decide whether to hold a one-day strike this spring over \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1999553/will-ai-replace-your-therapist-kaiser-wont-say-no\">proposed changes\u003c/a> to care protocols they say will diminish their working conditions or harm patients.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>About 2,400 therapists and social workers, represented by the\u003ca href=\"https://home.nuhw.org/\"> National Union of Health Care Workers\u003c/a>, have been negotiating their next contract since June, with talks reaching an impasse in recent months.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We all find ourselves confronting a Kaiser that no longer seeks input from its caregivers,” said Shay Loftus, a psychologist at Kaiser in Fairfield. “Kaiser management wants us to be cogs in their machine, but that’s not how health care, especially mental health care, works best for patients.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The small but mighty union has a track record of forcing improvements to working conditions and patient care through its advocacy. This has included backing laws that\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11891049/california-bill-would-reduce-wait-times-for-mental-health-appointments\"> mandate shorter wait times\u003c/a> for individual therapy at Kaiser and going on strike for 10 weeks in 2022 to secure more time in their schedules for administrative work, like calling patients or reviewing charts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They say Kaiser is now trying to claw back both of those wins in the current contract, in addition to setting the stage for laying off therapists or \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12073484/kaiser-workers-say-patients-deserve-better-mental-health-care-after-31m-settlement\">replacing them with artificial intelligence\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073919\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12073919 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/032_KQED_KaiserStrikeOakland_08192022_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/032_KQED_KaiserStrikeOakland_08192022_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/032_KQED_KaiserStrikeOakland_08192022_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/032_KQED_KaiserStrikeOakland_08192022_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kaiser mental health care workers and supporters march from Oakland Kaiser Medical Center to Kaiser’s corporate headquarters on Friday, Aug. 19, 2022. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But the union’s top complaint centers on a new system Kaiser rolled out for triaging mental health patients in 2024 that replaces intake clinicians with unlicensed phone operators or an e-visit, where an algorithm determines the level of care based on questions the patient answers in an app or online.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Therapists say patients are funneled into non-urgent therapy when they should have been directed to intensive services or the hospital.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Telephone service reps book people in completely inappropriate slots,” said Molly Parsons, an individual and couples therapist at Kaiser’s Pleasanton clinic. “It delays care and potentially harms patients who need immediate interventions.”\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"postid": "science_1999553",
"hero": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2025/11/251126-AI-KAISER-KQED_1.jpg",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>The two sides are not yet aligned on wage increases, which are typically negotiated last, but the union said this strike is about seeking agreement on the non-economic issues first. A spokesperson said the union is still engaged in sporadic bargaining sessions with Kaiser and is set to meet with the company for another session next week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a statement, Kaiser said that AI tools are designed to “support — not replace — human judgment and care,” and that technology is evaluated for performance, safety, clinical usability, accuracy, equitability and satisfaction.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We believe AI has the potential to help clinicians and employees spend more time focused on patient care, improve the patient experience, and enhance fairness and quality in health outcomes,” spokesperson Lena Howland said via email. “Human assessment and clinical expertise always guide care delivery.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The union will finalize voting to authorize the strike over the weekend and said as of Thursday, about 70% of the membership had cast votes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If it garners member support, the union plans to schedule the work stoppage for later in March. They must give 10 days’ advance notice.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12073923\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12073923 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/033_KQED_KaiserStrikeOakland_08192022_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/033_KQED_KaiserStrikeOakland_08192022_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/033_KQED_KaiserStrikeOakland_08192022_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/033_KQED_KaiserStrikeOakland_08192022_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kaiser mental health care workers and supporters march from Oakland Kaiser Medical Center to Kaiser’s corporate headquarters on Friday, Aug. 19, 2022. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>After striking for 10 weeks without pay over their last contract, then seeing their \u003ca href=\"https://www.healthcaredive.com/news/kaiser-permanente-mental-health-workers-contract-southern-california/747638/\">sister union\u003c/a> in Southern California call an open-ended strike that lasted more than six months, appetite for anything more than a one-day walkout was low this time around.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It doesn’t seem like members are that jazzed about an ongoing, open-ended strike,” Parsons said. “There’s a fear, not only for how that would impact us as clinicians, but a fear of how it would impact our clients and patient care. And so, a one-day strike, we’re hoping to get more people involved.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That will have less negative impact on patients, she added, “but it will show Kaiser that we’re serious about this.”\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>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/news/12073839/kaiser-therapists-take-key-step-toward-1-day-strike",
"authors": [
"3205"
],
"categories": [
"news_457",
"news_34551",
"news_28250",
"news_8"
],
"tags": [
"news_1386",
"news_18538",
"news_27626",
"news_18543",
"news_24939",
"news_421",
"news_33310",
"news_19904",
"news_24590"
],
"featImg": "news_12073915",
"label": "news"
},
"news_12073611": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "news_12073611",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12073611",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1771412439000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "kaiser-strike-enters-its-fourth-week",
"title": "Kaiser Strike Enters Its Fourth Week",
"publishDate": 1771412439,
"format": "audio",
"headTitle": "Kaiser Strike Enters Its Fourth Week | KQED",
"labelTerm": {},
"content": "\u003cp>Nearly 31,000 health care workers with the United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals have been on strike for the last four weeks. Nurses, physicians assistants, pharmacists and other workers at Kaiser Permanente say that their wages have not kept up with inflation and that their workloads have negatively impacted patient care. As the strike drags on and negotiations continue to stall, more patients face canceled surgeries and appointments without an end in sight.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"200\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https://playlist.megaphone.fm?e=KQINC4078420376\" width=\"100%\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>Some members of the KQED podcast team are represented by The Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, San Francisco-Northern California Local.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>This is a computer-generated transcript. While our team has reviewed it, there may be errors.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:00:33] \u003c/em>I’m Ericka Cruz Guevarra and welcome to The Bay, local news to keep you rooted. Outside of Kaiser Oakland on Monday, Kaiser Permanente nurses, physicians assistants, and other workers stood out in the rain to hold the picket line.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Picket Line: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:00:53] \u003c/em>Thank you. Be safe in the rain. Let’s get this contract done!\u003cem> \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:01:03] \u003c/em>It’s been four weeks since tens of thousands of Kaiser workers who make up the backbone of patient care for the company began striking over staffing and pay, including Chris Pyper, a physicians assistant at the Kaiser in San Leandro.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Chris Pyper: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:01:22] \u003c/em>It just kind of feels like they’ve forgotten the healthcare workers who are doing a lot of the patient care. I’m basically using up savings that I’ve had, hoping that this is going to produce a good contract and I’m willing to stay out as long as we need.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:01:40] \u003c/em>Workers also have larger concerns over the direction of the company. Kaiser is the largest non-profit health insurer in the country. And employees say that as Kaiser has grown, their work has gotten harder and harder. Today, we talk with KQED labor correspondent, Farida Javala Romero, about the Kaiser strike and what it means for patients.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Farida Jhabvala Romero: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:02:21] \u003c/em>This is a large strike, even for a very large company like Kaiser.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:02:29] \u003c/em>Farida Javala-Romero is a labor correspondent for KQED.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Farida Jhabvala Romero: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:02:33] \u003c/em>So this particular strike involves up to 31,000 employees in California. Most of them are based in Southern California, but there are some happening in Northern California as well. It’s made up of nurses, including nurse anesthetists, physicians assistants, physical therapists, midwives. And then in Southern California, there’s also pharmacists and other very key healthcare workers. They’re key people for operations and surgeries. So we’ve heard of some surgeries being delayed. And so I wanted to speak with Kaiser patients who are facing some of these disruptions in care because of the strike.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kayla Howell: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:03:25] \u003c/em>Honestly, when the scheduler first called me and told me about it, I sobbed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Farida Jhabvala Romero: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:03:31] \u003c/em>So I spoke with folks like Kayla Howell in San Jose. She was going to have surgery to repair her torn ACL.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kayla Howell: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:03:39] \u003c/em>Having that taken away you realize like oh my god i use my leg for everything going to the bathroom taking a shower is extremely difficult and painful\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Farida Jhabvala Romero: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:03:48] \u003c/em>And so she was one of the folks who got a call saying, this thing is gonna be delayed until March.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kayla Howell: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:03:55] \u003c/em>I’ve never had surgery before. It’s kind of a big thing. And so in my head, I was like, OK, this is what I’m going to do. I’m ready for it. You know, I’m preparing myself. It’s going to happen on this day. And then to have that, like, snatched away from me just like five days before it’s supposed to happen. I was, like Oh, that’s like a big paradigm shift, you know.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Farida Jhabvala Romero: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:04:13] \u003c/em>Her mom was gonna travel from abroad to care for her. Her mom couldn’t change her ticket to come to the U.S. To help her and her lodging. It just seemed like there were so many ripple effects just for one patient.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kayla Howell: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:04:27] \u003c/em>When Kaiser said they’re canceling non-essential surgeries, like before I would think like, oh, non-essential, like plastic surgery, stuff that like people don’t really like need, you know, but like I need my mobility and I need to my legs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Farida Jhabvala Romero: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:04:41] \u003c/em>Some of the people that wrote to us, you know, to tell us about their stories, they had hip replacement surgeries, you know where everything hurts, like it hurts to get in and out of their car. They told me that they’ve been waiting for these surgeries for months already to get on the schedule. So this, you now, additional delay hit really hard.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:05:02] \u003c/em>I mean, that’s a huge inconvenience for people I can’t imagine. And we are already on week four which feels that feels pretty long to me is that long I guess in comparison to these other strikes that you’ve been talking about?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Farida Jhabvala Romero: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:05:18] \u003c/em>Yeah, I think so. Since September, this is the third time they’ve gone on strike. But the previous strikes were limited duration, so they lasted one day or five days. And they said ahead of time how long it was going to last, which helps the employer prepare and also for people to know what’s going to happen. With this situation we have now, the stakes are higher because this could go on for a lot longer. It seems like many of these issues, at least from the employee’s perspective, are not getting resolved. And a lot of them have to do with staffing levels.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Sanne Jacobsen: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:06:06] \u003c/em>I’ve been here for 14 years, I really am honestly at this point feeling like I work for an investment bank that poses as a healthcare organization.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Farida Jabvala Romero: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:06:17] \u003c/em>Sanne Jacobson, I met her outside of the Oakland Medical Center. It was the first day of this strike on January 26. And she’s part of the bargaining committee. So they’re looking for more input into their scheduling, the number of patients that they see.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Sanne Jacobsen: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:06:36] \u003c/em>You get providers that are double and triple booked and they can’t adequately provide care for the patients. And they suffer moral injury when they go to work and they can’t practice like they are supposed to be practicing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Farida Jhabvala Romero: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:06:50] \u003c/em>What she, and this is echoing what a lot of other folks have told me at Picket Lines, is that increasing pressure to see more and more patients, they feel like they need to rush more to see more patients. They’re seeing their patients have to wait longer to be able to return to come see them for follow-up visits. And then from Kaiser’s perspective, they have been, for months, dismissing any claims that their patient care quality is sliding. And that there aren’t enough staffers to see patients. They say they meet all of the staffing levels that are required. And so, at least from workers’ perspective, the company is focusing on wages and wage increases, but not so much talking about the staffing problems that workers see.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>\u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:07:38] \u003c/em>So would you say that’s like, the main sticking point for workers in this particular strike? This feeling that they’re just a little overwhelmed with low staffing compared to the number of patients they have to take care of, and that wages maybe actually isn’t the number one issue for them?\u003cem> \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Farida Jhabvala Romero: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:07:58] \u003c/em>I think it’s all connected. We can say that compensation and staffing levels are the two top issues. And those are nationwide top concerns for nurses and other healthcare workers. And when we’re talking about wages in this particular strike, the union wants a 25% increase over four years and Kaiser has drawn the line at 21.5%.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:08:31] \u003c/em>Well, I wanna zoom out a little bit from this strike because I feel like I’ve seen a lot of strikes from Kaiser workers lately. Why is that?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Farida Jhabvala Romero: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:08:39] \u003c/em>We have seen several strikes in the last few years as these contracts expire and Kaiser is in negotiations for a new contract with different unions. This is a company where many of their employees, I think it’s more than 130,000, are unionized. And I think that goes back to this central conflict that we’re seeing for a company like Kaiser, which is. Employees feel like the company is moving away from its mission as a nonprofit, and that instead the company has expanded to new states, building new facilities, buying hospitals, and investing the revenues they’re getting from their health insurance business into growing. Meanwhile, the employees feel like they’ve been sort of left behind.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>John Logan: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:09:36] \u003c/em>What’s happening at Kaiser in some ways reflects what’s happening in terms of the structure of the healthcare industry at the national level.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Farida Jhabvala Romero: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:09:45] \u003c/em>John Logan chairs the Labor Studies Department at San Francisco State University. He’s a really interesting person to talk to about the strike because he’s kept an eye on Kaiser for a long time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>John Logan: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:10:01] \u003c/em>You know, the one thing about the Kaiser partnership that’s existed now for over 25 years, nurses, technicians, others had a great deal more say over working conditions, scheduling, and those types of things. And that’s what a lot of the workers say has been eroded in recent years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Farida Jhabvala Romero: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:10:22] \u003c/em>The mission of Kaiser is to reinvest all of its revenues into patient care and their facilities. But employees, many of them who’ve worked at Kaiser for more than 10 years, they see the company as changing, they describe it as more corporate, more top-down, and I think that’s some of the conflict that we’re seeing now. It’s making billions of dollars in net income. It has really large reserves. That Kaiser says it needs to deal with long-term commitments, like pensions and building maintenance, and have enough money in case there’s another emergency, like a pandemic. And employees say, hey, this company has a lot of money. How come they’re not investing in their workforce and improving patient care?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:11:14] \u003c/em>It sounds like employees are feeling like they have to shoulder a lot of this growth that is happening in Kaiser without necessarily getting the support to do that. What is Kaiser saying in response?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Farida Jhabvala Romero: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:11:28] \u003c/em>What they’ve said in their public statements is that Kaiser is a great health care provider, that they have a really good model benefiting patients, and that they’re trying their best to meet the demand of Kaiser customers or members, which is what they call them. They have not really addressed these employee big concerns about staffing, about scheduling problems. We have not been able to get an interview with like a Kaiser executive or a representative to really dig into you know how they’re thinking about their reality and this you know labor conflict they have now. And then what we talked about earlier that the policies of the federal government are giving health care executives a really uncertain financial picture for the next couple of years. At companies like Kaiser, which is a health insurer and health provider. I mean, this means they could see a lot less money from people not being able to buy insurance or losing their health insurance, at the same time that they could higher costs from uninsured folks coming to hospitals for care.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:12:42] \u003c/em>Well, I want to come back to Kayla who has the torn ACL. I mean, we’re four weeks into the strike now. I imagine she’s watching this all very, very closely. Do you have any sense of what public support is like from people like Kayla who are directly affected?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Farida Jhabvala Romero: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:13:03] \u003c/em>Kayla and other patients I spoke with, they all feel like they need the strike to be resolved as soon as possible so that they can get the care that they need.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kayla Howell: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:13:15] \u003c/em>We live in one of the richest countries in the world. I pay my health insurance and I pay my premiums and where is that money going to? I just wish they would figure out a way to resolve it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Farida Jhabvala Romero: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:13:27] \u003c/em>I think many of these folks sympathize with the employees and they want Kaiser to treat this as a very urgent matter and, you know, come to some deal. I think from both sides, but definitely when you go talk to people at the picket line, they really feel for the patients.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:13:47] \u003c/em>What is it going to take for this to end and when could it end?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Farida Jhabvala Romero: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:13:52] \u003c/em>So, there’s a national contract for all of these workers. And then there are locals in each of the regions where workers are represented. And Kaiser, at this point, is refusing to meet with national union negotiators. And there is some bargaining at the local level. What the union folks have told me is that the strike is not going to be resolved without a national contract, or that would be the easiest way for Kaiser to resolve it. The conflict has gone to such a bad place on both sides that you have the employer saying, we’re not going to deal with these national union negotiators anymore. And so we’re just going to try to resolve everything at the local level. And meanwhile, the union is saying, ‘That’s illegal. No, you have to talk to us.’\u003cem> \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:14:45] \u003c/em>Do you see any parallels between this Kaiser strike and the teacher strike that just ended in San Francisco last week?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Farida Jhabvala Romero: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:14:53] \u003c/em>Yeah, I mean, so much right now with these big conflicts we’re seeing are about affordability. For example, the Kaiser employees on strike say that during the pandemic, they agreed to much smaller wage increases because Kaiser had some big financial and other challenges, as many health systems did. And so now they feel like it’s a time to catch up and to really try to keep up with inflation and the high prices of everything. And then in San Francisco, with the teachers… It was a similar big issue, which is people feel like they can’t afford to live, you know, where do they work in San Francisco? And so the big topic over all of this is affordability.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:15:47] \u003c/em>And the teachers were talking about not being able to afford their health care\u003cem> \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Farida Jhabvala Romero: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:15:50] \u003c/em>Health insurance right.\u003cem> \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:15:55] \u003c/em>Farida, thank you so much for breaking this down. I appreciate it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Farida Jhabvala Romero: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:15:57] \u003c/em>Thank you, Ericka.\u003c/p>\n\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "As the strike drags on and negotiations continue to stall, more patients face canceled surgeries and appointments without an end in sight. ",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1771521363,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": true,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 50,
"wordCount": 2731
},
"headData": {
"title": "Kaiser Strike Enters Its Fourth Week | KQED",
"description": "As the strike drags on and negotiations continue to stall, more patients face canceled surgeries and appointments without an end in sight. ",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "NewsArticle",
"headline": "Kaiser Strike Enters Its Fourth Week",
"datePublished": "2026-02-18T03:00:39-08:00",
"dateModified": "2026-02-19T09:16:03-08:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"isAccessibleForFree": "True",
"publisher": {
"@type": "NewsMediaOrganization",
"@id": "https://www.kqed.org/#organization",
"name": "KQED",
"logo": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"url": "https://www.kqed.org",
"sameAs": [
"https://www.facebook.com/KQED",
"https://twitter.com/KQED",
"https://www.instagram.com/kqed/",
"https://www.tiktok.com/@kqedofficial",
"https://www.linkedin.com/company/kqed",
"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeC0IOo7i1P_61zVUWbJ4nw"
]
}
}
},
"primaryCategory": {
"termId": 34551,
"slug": "labor",
"name": "Labor"
},
"source": "The Bay",
"sourceUrl": "https://www.kqed.org/podcasts/thebay",
"audioUrl": "https://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/traffic.megaphone.fm/KQINC4078420376.mp3",
"sticky": false,
"nprStoryId": "kqed-12073611",
"templateType": "standard",
"featuredImageType": "standard",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/news/12073611/kaiser-strike-enters-its-fourth-week",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Nearly 31,000 health care workers with the United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals have been on strike for the last four weeks. Nurses, physicians assistants, pharmacists and other workers at Kaiser Permanente say that their wages have not kept up with inflation and that their workloads have negatively impacted patient care. As the strike drags on and negotiations continue to stall, more patients face canceled surgeries and appointments without an end in sight.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"200\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https://playlist.megaphone.fm?e=KQINC4078420376\" width=\"100%\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>Some members of the KQED podcast team are represented by The Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, San Francisco-Northern California Local.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>This is a computer-generated transcript. While our team has reviewed it, there may be errors.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:00:33] \u003c/em>I’m Ericka Cruz Guevarra and welcome to The Bay, local news to keep you rooted. Outside of Kaiser Oakland on Monday, Kaiser Permanente nurses, physicians assistants, and other workers stood out in the rain to hold the picket line.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Picket Line: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:00:53] \u003c/em>Thank you. Be safe in the rain. Let’s get this contract done!\u003cem> \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:01:03] \u003c/em>It’s been four weeks since tens of thousands of Kaiser workers who make up the backbone of patient care for the company began striking over staffing and pay, including Chris Pyper, a physicians assistant at the Kaiser in San Leandro.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Chris Pyper: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:01:22] \u003c/em>It just kind of feels like they’ve forgotten the healthcare workers who are doing a lot of the patient care. I’m basically using up savings that I’ve had, hoping that this is going to produce a good contract and I’m willing to stay out as long as we need.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:01:40] \u003c/em>Workers also have larger concerns over the direction of the company. Kaiser is the largest non-profit health insurer in the country. And employees say that as Kaiser has grown, their work has gotten harder and harder. Today, we talk with KQED labor correspondent, Farida Javala Romero, about the Kaiser strike and what it means for patients.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Farida Jhabvala Romero: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:02:21] \u003c/em>This is a large strike, even for a very large company like Kaiser.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:02:29] \u003c/em>Farida Javala-Romero is a labor correspondent for KQED.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Farida Jhabvala Romero: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:02:33] \u003c/em>So this particular strike involves up to 31,000 employees in California. Most of them are based in Southern California, but there are some happening in Northern California as well. It’s made up of nurses, including nurse anesthetists, physicians assistants, physical therapists, midwives. And then in Southern California, there’s also pharmacists and other very key healthcare workers. They’re key people for operations and surgeries. So we’ve heard of some surgeries being delayed. And so I wanted to speak with Kaiser patients who are facing some of these disruptions in care because of the strike.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kayla Howell: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:03:25] \u003c/em>Honestly, when the scheduler first called me and told me about it, I sobbed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Farida Jhabvala Romero: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:03:31] \u003c/em>So I spoke with folks like Kayla Howell in San Jose. She was going to have surgery to repair her torn ACL.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kayla Howell: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:03:39] \u003c/em>Having that taken away you realize like oh my god i use my leg for everything going to the bathroom taking a shower is extremely difficult and painful\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Farida Jhabvala Romero: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:03:48] \u003c/em>And so she was one of the folks who got a call saying, this thing is gonna be delayed until March.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kayla Howell: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:03:55] \u003c/em>I’ve never had surgery before. It’s kind of a big thing. And so in my head, I was like, OK, this is what I’m going to do. I’m ready for it. You know, I’m preparing myself. It’s going to happen on this day. And then to have that, like, snatched away from me just like five days before it’s supposed to happen. I was, like Oh, that’s like a big paradigm shift, you know.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Farida Jhabvala Romero: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:04:13] \u003c/em>Her mom was gonna travel from abroad to care for her. Her mom couldn’t change her ticket to come to the U.S. To help her and her lodging. It just seemed like there were so many ripple effects just for one patient.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kayla Howell: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:04:27] \u003c/em>When Kaiser said they’re canceling non-essential surgeries, like before I would think like, oh, non-essential, like plastic surgery, stuff that like people don’t really like need, you know, but like I need my mobility and I need to my legs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Farida Jhabvala Romero: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:04:41] \u003c/em>Some of the people that wrote to us, you know, to tell us about their stories, they had hip replacement surgeries, you know where everything hurts, like it hurts to get in and out of their car. They told me that they’ve been waiting for these surgeries for months already to get on the schedule. So this, you now, additional delay hit really hard.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:05:02] \u003c/em>I mean, that’s a huge inconvenience for people I can’t imagine. And we are already on week four which feels that feels pretty long to me is that long I guess in comparison to these other strikes that you’ve been talking about?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Farida Jhabvala Romero: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:05:18] \u003c/em>Yeah, I think so. Since September, this is the third time they’ve gone on strike. But the previous strikes were limited duration, so they lasted one day or five days. And they said ahead of time how long it was going to last, which helps the employer prepare and also for people to know what’s going to happen. With this situation we have now, the stakes are higher because this could go on for a lot longer. It seems like many of these issues, at least from the employee’s perspective, are not getting resolved. And a lot of them have to do with staffing levels.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Sanne Jacobsen: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:06:06] \u003c/em>I’ve been here for 14 years, I really am honestly at this point feeling like I work for an investment bank that poses as a healthcare organization.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Farida Jabvala Romero: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:06:17] \u003c/em>Sanne Jacobson, I met her outside of the Oakland Medical Center. It was the first day of this strike on January 26. And she’s part of the bargaining committee. So they’re looking for more input into their scheduling, the number of patients that they see.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Sanne Jacobsen: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:06:36] \u003c/em>You get providers that are double and triple booked and they can’t adequately provide care for the patients. And they suffer moral injury when they go to work and they can’t practice like they are supposed to be practicing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Farida Jhabvala Romero: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:06:50] \u003c/em>What she, and this is echoing what a lot of other folks have told me at Picket Lines, is that increasing pressure to see more and more patients, they feel like they need to rush more to see more patients. They’re seeing their patients have to wait longer to be able to return to come see them for follow-up visits. And then from Kaiser’s perspective, they have been, for months, dismissing any claims that their patient care quality is sliding. And that there aren’t enough staffers to see patients. They say they meet all of the staffing levels that are required. And so, at least from workers’ perspective, the company is focusing on wages and wage increases, but not so much talking about the staffing problems that workers see.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>\u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:07:38] \u003c/em>So would you say that’s like, the main sticking point for workers in this particular strike? This feeling that they’re just a little overwhelmed with low staffing compared to the number of patients they have to take care of, and that wages maybe actually isn’t the number one issue for them?\u003cem> \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Farida Jhabvala Romero: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:07:58] \u003c/em>I think it’s all connected. We can say that compensation and staffing levels are the two top issues. And those are nationwide top concerns for nurses and other healthcare workers. And when we’re talking about wages in this particular strike, the union wants a 25% increase over four years and Kaiser has drawn the line at 21.5%.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:08:31] \u003c/em>Well, I wanna zoom out a little bit from this strike because I feel like I’ve seen a lot of strikes from Kaiser workers lately. Why is that?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Farida Jhabvala Romero: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:08:39] \u003c/em>We have seen several strikes in the last few years as these contracts expire and Kaiser is in negotiations for a new contract with different unions. This is a company where many of their employees, I think it’s more than 130,000, are unionized. And I think that goes back to this central conflict that we’re seeing for a company like Kaiser, which is. Employees feel like the company is moving away from its mission as a nonprofit, and that instead the company has expanded to new states, building new facilities, buying hospitals, and investing the revenues they’re getting from their health insurance business into growing. Meanwhile, the employees feel like they’ve been sort of left behind.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>John Logan: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:09:36] \u003c/em>What’s happening at Kaiser in some ways reflects what’s happening in terms of the structure of the healthcare industry at the national level.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Farida Jhabvala Romero: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:09:45] \u003c/em>John Logan chairs the Labor Studies Department at San Francisco State University. He’s a really interesting person to talk to about the strike because he’s kept an eye on Kaiser for a long time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>John Logan: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:10:01] \u003c/em>You know, the one thing about the Kaiser partnership that’s existed now for over 25 years, nurses, technicians, others had a great deal more say over working conditions, scheduling, and those types of things. And that’s what a lot of the workers say has been eroded in recent years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Farida Jhabvala Romero: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:10:22] \u003c/em>The mission of Kaiser is to reinvest all of its revenues into patient care and their facilities. But employees, many of them who’ve worked at Kaiser for more than 10 years, they see the company as changing, they describe it as more corporate, more top-down, and I think that’s some of the conflict that we’re seeing now. It’s making billions of dollars in net income. It has really large reserves. That Kaiser says it needs to deal with long-term commitments, like pensions and building maintenance, and have enough money in case there’s another emergency, like a pandemic. And employees say, hey, this company has a lot of money. How come they’re not investing in their workforce and improving patient care?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:11:14] \u003c/em>It sounds like employees are feeling like they have to shoulder a lot of this growth that is happening in Kaiser without necessarily getting the support to do that. What is Kaiser saying in response?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Farida Jhabvala Romero: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:11:28] \u003c/em>What they’ve said in their public statements is that Kaiser is a great health care provider, that they have a really good model benefiting patients, and that they’re trying their best to meet the demand of Kaiser customers or members, which is what they call them. They have not really addressed these employee big concerns about staffing, about scheduling problems. We have not been able to get an interview with like a Kaiser executive or a representative to really dig into you know how they’re thinking about their reality and this you know labor conflict they have now. And then what we talked about earlier that the policies of the federal government are giving health care executives a really uncertain financial picture for the next couple of years. At companies like Kaiser, which is a health insurer and health provider. I mean, this means they could see a lot less money from people not being able to buy insurance or losing their health insurance, at the same time that they could higher costs from uninsured folks coming to hospitals for care.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:12:42] \u003c/em>Well, I want to come back to Kayla who has the torn ACL. I mean, we’re four weeks into the strike now. I imagine she’s watching this all very, very closely. Do you have any sense of what public support is like from people like Kayla who are directly affected?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Farida Jhabvala Romero: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:13:03] \u003c/em>Kayla and other patients I spoke with, they all feel like they need the strike to be resolved as soon as possible so that they can get the care that they need.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kayla Howell: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:13:15] \u003c/em>We live in one of the richest countries in the world. I pay my health insurance and I pay my premiums and where is that money going to? I just wish they would figure out a way to resolve it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Farida Jhabvala Romero: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:13:27] \u003c/em>I think many of these folks sympathize with the employees and they want Kaiser to treat this as a very urgent matter and, you know, come to some deal. I think from both sides, but definitely when you go talk to people at the picket line, they really feel for the patients.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:13:47] \u003c/em>What is it going to take for this to end and when could it end?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Farida Jhabvala Romero: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:13:52] \u003c/em>So, there’s a national contract for all of these workers. And then there are locals in each of the regions where workers are represented. And Kaiser, at this point, is refusing to meet with national union negotiators. And there is some bargaining at the local level. What the union folks have told me is that the strike is not going to be resolved without a national contract, or that would be the easiest way for Kaiser to resolve it. The conflict has gone to such a bad place on both sides that you have the employer saying, we’re not going to deal with these national union negotiators anymore. And so we’re just going to try to resolve everything at the local level. And meanwhile, the union is saying, ‘That’s illegal. No, you have to talk to us.’\u003cem> \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:14:45] \u003c/em>Do you see any parallels between this Kaiser strike and the teacher strike that just ended in San Francisco last week?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Farida Jhabvala Romero: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:14:53] \u003c/em>Yeah, I mean, so much right now with these big conflicts we’re seeing are about affordability. For example, the Kaiser employees on strike say that during the pandemic, they agreed to much smaller wage increases because Kaiser had some big financial and other challenges, as many health systems did. And so now they feel like it’s a time to catch up and to really try to keep up with inflation and the high prices of everything. And then in San Francisco, with the teachers… It was a similar big issue, which is people feel like they can’t afford to live, you know, where do they work in San Francisco? And so the big topic over all of this is affordability.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:15:47] \u003c/em>And the teachers were talking about not being able to afford their health care\u003cem> \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Farida Jhabvala Romero: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:15:50] \u003c/em>Health insurance right.\u003cem> \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:15:55] \u003c/em>Farida, thank you so much for breaking this down. I appreciate it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "floatright"
},
"numeric": [
"floatright"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Farida Jhabvala Romero: \u003c/b>\u003cem>[00:15:57] \u003c/em>Thank you, Ericka.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/news/12073611/kaiser-strike-enters-its-fourth-week",
"authors": [
"8654",
"8659",
"11946",
"11649"
],
"categories": [
"news_34551",
"news_8"
],
"tags": [
"news_35118",
"news_33812",
"news_421",
"news_19904",
"news_24590",
"news_22598"
],
"featImg": "news_12071095",
"label": "source_news_12073611"
},
"news_12073484": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "news_12073484",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "12073484",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1771023408000
]
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "kaiser-workers-say-patients-deserve-better-mental-health-care-after-31m-settlement",
"title": "Kaiser Workers Say Patients Deserve Better Mental Health Care After $31M Settlement",
"publishDate": 1771023408,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "Kaiser Workers Say Patients Deserve Better Mental Health Care After $31M Settlement | KQED",
"labelTerm": {
"site": "news"
},
"content": "\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/kaiser-permanente\">Kaiser Permanente\u003c/a> will pay a $31 million settlement with the federal government over the company’s mental health care practices, according to an agreement reached this week that followed an investigation into the company’s compliance with mental health laws.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the therapists and other mental health workers employed by the health care provider said they remain concerned that patients in California are still struggling to get the timely help they need.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Labor \u003ca href=\"https://www.dol.gov/newsroom/releases/ebsa/ebsa20260210\">announced\u003c/a> it ordered the Oakland-based health care giant to reimburse Kaiser members in the Golden State for more than $28 million in costs incurred when seeking out-of-network mental health and substance use disorder treatment — saying in a statement that the company failed “to provide timely and appropriate access” to those services between January 2021 and September 2024. Kaiser will also pay a $2.8 million penalty to the federal government.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Critics for years have alleged that Kaiser has not maintained adequate provider networks for mental health and substance use disorder care, forcing many patients to pay for health care services out of pocket. Mental health care workers said they first took their concerns to Kaiser management, where they were not addressed, then brought them to the attention of the federal labor agency.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a statement, Kaiser attributed the lack of consistent access to care to surges in demand for mental health care treatment over the past six years, triggered by the pandemic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“These challenges made it very difficult for our members to get consistent access to the care they needed when they needed it,” spokesperson Lena Howland said. “We are committed to reimbursing those members who tried but may have been unable to get timely care from Kaiser Permanente in that time.”\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>In the midst of a \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/mental-health/about/what-cdc-is-doing.html\">national\u003c/a> mental health crisis, finding a therapist, especially one who accepts insurance,\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/stateofhealth/series/state-of-mind\"> has become notoriously difficult\u003c/a> as the field struggles with workforce shortages and low reimbursement rates.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kaiser has grappled with these industry-wide challenges for\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/stateofhealth/21358/kaiser-agrees-to-pay-4-million-fine-over-mental-health-care-drops-lawsuit\"> over a decade\u003c/a>. California regulators have\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11791527/kaiser-therapists-strike-again-over-long-wait-times\"> repeatedly cited the company\u003c/a> for making patients wait\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11891049/california-bill-would-reduce-wait-times-for-mental-health-appointments\"> too long\u003c/a> for mental health appointments, ordering Kaiser to address persistent issues.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The National Union of Healthcare Workers, which represents Kaiser Permanente’s 4,800 mental health professionals in California and Hawaii, said Friday that the health care giant’s proposals in ongoing contract negotiations indicate that patients hoping for shorter wait times and greater access to therapists may expect business as usual.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“A lot of our therapists still can’t see patients for weeks at a time,” said Matthew Artz, a union spokesperson. “Some of them can’t ‘refer out’ to outside providers. And even if Kaiser is increasing its network, it’s doing other things to diminish care.”[aside postID=news_12072837 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/020926_KAISERSTRIKE_8137B-KQED.jpg']One of the major points of contention is Kaiser’s use of telephone operators and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1999553/will-ai-replace-your-therapist-kaiser-wont-say-no\">artificial intelligence to triage\u003c/a> and treat mental health patients. Kaiser uses those intermediaries, the union said, to determine how quickly a patient needs care.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In contract negotiations with therapists in Northern California, the union said Kaiser is seeking free rein to push patients into AI-based therapy protocols that Artz argued would diminish the quality of care. However, the company has said its AI tools don’t make medical decisions or replace human care.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Kaiser is not acting like a health care provider that has seen the errors of its ways and wants to provide better mental health care,” Artz said. “It’s really acting like an insurance company that still wants to spend as little money as possible on mental health and just try to avoid getting in trouble.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The settlement comes less than three years after Kaiser agreed to pay a $200 million penalty, including a historic $50 million fine, as part of a settlement related to California’s 2021 parity law, designed to provide equal access to mental and physical health. As part of \u003ca href=\"https://url.us.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/zMY5CADmygFGn4yOs9iRIGs93S?domain=wpso.dmhc.ca.gov\">that agreement\u003c/a>, Kaiser acknowledged at that time that it lacked “sufficient behavioral health providers” and that “this lack of clinical staff has resulted in excessive wait times for enrollee individual therapy appointments.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Tens of thousands of Kaiser Permanente nurses, pharmacists and other physical health care workers \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12072837/kaiser-strike-delays-surgeries-disrupts-care-as-more-workers-walk-off-jobs\">are on strike\u003c/a> across the state over stalled contract talks, staffing levels and pay. NUHW members, who went on a 10-week strike in 2022, are voting on whether to join their colleagues on the picket lines.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Kaiser therapists have been very willing to go on strike in order to advocate for better patient care and better working conditions,” Artz said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s Desmond Meagley contributed to this report. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
"blocks": [],
"excerpt": "Kaiser therapists and mental health workers are considering joining the tens of thousands of nurses, pharmacists and other physical health care workers who are currently striking. ",
"status": "publish",
"parent": 0,
"modified": 1771027563,
"stats": {
"hasAudio": false,
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"paragraphCount": 18,
"wordCount": 842
},
"headData": {
"title": "Kaiser Workers Say Patients Deserve Better Mental Health Care After $31M Settlement | KQED",
"description": "Kaiser therapists and mental health workers are considering joining the tens of thousands of nurses, pharmacists and other physical health care workers who are currently striking. ",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogDescription": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"twDescription": "",
"twImgId": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "NewsArticle",
"headline": "Kaiser Workers Say Patients Deserve Better Mental Health Care After $31M Settlement",
"datePublished": "2026-02-13T14:56:48-08:00",
"dateModified": "2026-02-13T16:06:03-08:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"isAccessibleForFree": "True",
"publisher": {
"@type": "NewsMediaOrganization",
"@id": "https://www.kqed.org/#organization",
"name": "KQED",
"logo": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"url": "https://www.kqed.org",
"sameAs": [
"https://www.facebook.com/KQED",
"https://twitter.com/KQED",
"https://www.instagram.com/kqed/",
"https://www.tiktok.com/@kqedofficial",
"https://www.linkedin.com/company/kqed",
"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeC0IOo7i1P_61zVUWbJ4nw"
]
}
}
},
"primaryCategory": {
"termId": 457,
"slug": "health",
"name": "Health"
},
"sticky": false,
"nprStoryId": "kqed-12073484",
"templateType": "standard",
"featuredImageType": "standard",
"excludeFromSiteSearch": "Include",
"articleAge": "0",
"path": "/news/12073484/kaiser-workers-say-patients-deserve-better-mental-health-care-after-31m-settlement",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/kaiser-permanente\">Kaiser Permanente\u003c/a> will pay a $31 million settlement with the federal government over the company’s mental health care practices, according to an agreement reached this week that followed an investigation into the company’s compliance with mental health laws.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the therapists and other mental health workers employed by the health care provider said they remain concerned that patients in California are still struggling to get the timely help they need.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Labor \u003ca href=\"https://www.dol.gov/newsroom/releases/ebsa/ebsa20260210\">announced\u003c/a> it ordered the Oakland-based health care giant to reimburse Kaiser members in the Golden State for more than $28 million in costs incurred when seeking out-of-network mental health and substance use disorder treatment — saying in a statement that the company failed “to provide timely and appropriate access” to those services between January 2021 and September 2024. Kaiser will also pay a $2.8 million penalty to the federal government.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Critics for years have alleged that Kaiser has not maintained adequate provider networks for mental health and substance use disorder care, forcing many patients to pay for health care services out of pocket. Mental health care workers said they first took their concerns to Kaiser management, where they were not addressed, then brought them to the attention of the federal labor agency.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a statement, Kaiser attributed the lack of consistent access to care to surges in demand for mental health care treatment over the past six years, triggered by the pandemic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“These challenges made it very difficult for our members to get consistent access to the care they needed when they needed it,” spokesperson Lena Howland said. “We are committed to reimbursing those members who tried but may have been unable to get timely care from Kaiser Permanente in that time.”\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>In the midst of a \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/mental-health/about/what-cdc-is-doing.html\">national\u003c/a> mental health crisis, finding a therapist, especially one who accepts insurance,\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/stateofhealth/series/state-of-mind\"> has become notoriously difficult\u003c/a> as the field struggles with workforce shortages and low reimbursement rates.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kaiser has grappled with these industry-wide challenges for\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/stateofhealth/21358/kaiser-agrees-to-pay-4-million-fine-over-mental-health-care-drops-lawsuit\"> over a decade\u003c/a>. California regulators have\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11791527/kaiser-therapists-strike-again-over-long-wait-times\"> repeatedly cited the company\u003c/a> for making patients wait\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11891049/california-bill-would-reduce-wait-times-for-mental-health-appointments\"> too long\u003c/a> for mental health appointments, ordering Kaiser to address persistent issues.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The National Union of Healthcare Workers, which represents Kaiser Permanente’s 4,800 mental health professionals in California and Hawaii, said Friday that the health care giant’s proposals in ongoing contract negotiations indicate that patients hoping for shorter wait times and greater access to therapists may expect business as usual.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“A lot of our therapists still can’t see patients for weeks at a time,” said Matthew Artz, a union spokesperson. “Some of them can’t ‘refer out’ to outside providers. And even if Kaiser is increasing its network, it’s doing other things to diminish care.”\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "aside",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"postid": "news_12072837",
"hero": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/020926_KAISERSTRIKE_8137B-KQED.jpg",
"label": ""
},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>One of the major points of contention is Kaiser’s use of telephone operators and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1999553/will-ai-replace-your-therapist-kaiser-wont-say-no\">artificial intelligence to triage\u003c/a> and treat mental health patients. Kaiser uses those intermediaries, the union said, to determine how quickly a patient needs care.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In contract negotiations with therapists in Northern California, the union said Kaiser is seeking free rein to push patients into AI-based therapy protocols that Artz argued would diminish the quality of care. However, the company has said its AI tools don’t make medical decisions or replace human care.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Kaiser is not acting like a health care provider that has seen the errors of its ways and wants to provide better mental health care,” Artz said. “It’s really acting like an insurance company that still wants to spend as little money as possible on mental health and just try to avoid getting in trouble.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The settlement comes less than three years after Kaiser agreed to pay a $200 million penalty, including a historic $50 million fine, as part of a settlement related to California’s 2021 parity law, designed to provide equal access to mental and physical health. As part of \u003ca href=\"https://url.us.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/zMY5CADmygFGn4yOs9iRIGs93S?domain=wpso.dmhc.ca.gov\">that agreement\u003c/a>, Kaiser acknowledged at that time that it lacked “sufficient behavioral health providers” and that “this lack of clinical staff has resulted in excessive wait times for enrollee individual therapy appointments.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Tens of thousands of Kaiser Permanente nurses, pharmacists and other physical health care workers \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12072837/kaiser-strike-delays-surgeries-disrupts-care-as-more-workers-walk-off-jobs\">are on strike\u003c/a> across the state over stalled contract talks, staffing levels and pay. NUHW members, who went on a 10-week strike in 2022, are voting on whether to join their colleagues on the picket lines.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Kaiser therapists have been very willing to go on strike in order to advocate for better patient care and better working conditions,” Artz said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s Desmond Meagley contributed to this report. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/news/12073484/kaiser-workers-say-patients-deserve-better-mental-health-care-after-31m-settlement",
"authors": [
"11925"
],
"categories": [
"news_457",
"news_34551",
"news_8"
],
"tags": [
"news_18543",
"news_24939",
"news_421",
"news_19904",
"news_2109",
"news_35994"
],
"featImg": "news_11947188",
"label": "news"
}
},
"podcastsReducer": {
"isFetching": false,
"fetchFailed": false,
"hasFetched": false,
"podcasts": {}
},
"radioProgramsReducer": {
"isFetching": false,
"fetchFailed": false,
"hasFetched": false,
"radioPrograms": {}
},
"programsReducer": {
"all-things-considered": {
"id": "all-things-considered",
"title": "All Things Considered",
"info": "Every weekday, \u003cem>All Things Considered\u003c/em> hosts Robert Siegel, Audie Cornish, Ari Shapiro, and Kelly McEvers present the program's trademark mix of news, interviews, commentaries, reviews, and offbeat features. Michel Martin hosts on the weekends.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 1pm-2pm, 4:30pm-6:30pm\u003cbr />SAT-SUN 5pm-6pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/All-Things-Considered-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/all-things-considered/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/all-things-considered"
},
"american-suburb-podcast": {
"id": "american-suburb-podcast",
"title": "American Suburb: The Podcast",
"tagline": "The flip side of gentrification, told through one town",
"info": "Gentrification is changing cities across America, forcing people from neighborhoods they have long called home. Call them the displaced. Now those priced out of the Bay Area are looking for a better life in an unlikely place. American Suburb follows this migration to one California town along the Delta, 45 miles from San Francisco. But is this once sleepy suburb ready for them?",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/American-Suburb-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/news/series/american-suburb-podcast",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 19
},
"link": "/news/series/american-suburb-podcast/",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/RBrW",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?mt=2&id=1287748328",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/American-Suburb-p1086805/",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/series/american-suburb-podcast/feed/podcast",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkMzMDExODgxNjA5"
}
},
"baycurious": {
"id": "baycurious",
"title": "Bay Curious",
"tagline": "Exploring the Bay Area, one question at a time",
"info": "KQED’s new podcast, Bay Curious, gets to the bottom of the mysteries — both profound and peculiar — that give the Bay Area its unique identity. And we’ll do it with your help! You ask the questions. You decide what Bay Curious investigates. And you join us on the journey to find the answers.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Bay-Curious-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Bay Curious",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/news/series/baycurious",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 3
},
"link": "/podcasts/baycurious",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bay-curious/id1172473406",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/500557090/bay-curious",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/category/bay-curious-podcast/feed/podcast",
"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9a90d476-aa04-455d-9a4c-0871ed6216d4/bay-curious",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/bay-curious",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/6O76IdmhixfijmhTZLIJ8k"
}
},
"bbc-world-service": {
"id": "bbc-world-service",
"title": "BBC World Service",
"info": "The day's top stories from BBC News compiled twice daily in the week, once at weekends.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 9pm-10pm, TUE-FRI 1am-2am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/BBC-World-Service-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/live:bbc_world_service",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "BBC World Service"
},
"link": "/radio/program/bbc-world-service",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/global-news-podcast/id135067274?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/BBC-World-Service-p455581/",
"rss": "https://podcasts.files.bbci.co.uk/p02nq0gn.rss"
}
},
"californiareport": {
"id": "californiareport",
"title": "The California Report",
"tagline": "California, day by day",
"info": "KQED’s statewide radio news program providing daily coverage of issues, trends and public policy decisions.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-California-Report-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The California Report",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/californiareport",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 8
},
"link": "/californiareport",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kqeds-the-california-report/id79681292",
"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/26099305-72af-4542-9dde-ac1807fe36d5/kqed-s-the-california-report",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/432285393/the-california-report",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqedfm-kqeds-the-california-report-podcast-8838",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/tag/tcram/feed/podcast"
}
},
"californiareportmagazine": {
"id": "californiareportmagazine",
"title": "The California Report Magazine",
"tagline": "Your state, your stories",
"info": "Every week, The California Report Magazine takes you on a road trip for the ears: to visit the places and meet the people who make California unique. The in-depth storytelling podcast from the California Report.",
"airtime": "FRI 4:30pm-5pm, 6:30pm-7pm, 11pm-11:30pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-California-Report-Magazine-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The California Report Magazine",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/californiareportmagazine",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 10
},
"link": "/californiareportmagazine",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-california-report-magazine/id1314750545",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM3NjkwNjk1OTAz",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/564733126/the-california-report-magazine",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/the-california-report-magazine",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/tag/tcrmag/feed/podcast"
}
},
"city-arts": {
"id": "city-arts",
"title": "City Arts & Lectures",
"info": "A one-hour radio program to hear celebrated writers, artists and thinkers address contemporary ideas and values, often discussing the creative process. Please note: tapes or transcripts are not available",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/05/cityartsandlecture-300x300.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.cityarts.net/",
"airtime": "SUN 1pm-2pm, TUE 10pm, WED 1am",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "City Arts & Lectures"
},
"link": "https://www.cityarts.net",
"subscribe": {
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/City-Arts-and-Lectures-p692/",
"rss": "https://www.cityarts.net/feed/"
}
},
"closealltabs": {
"id": "closealltabs",
"title": "Close All Tabs",
"tagline": "Your irreverent guide to the trends redefining our world",
"info": "Close All Tabs breaks down how digital culture shapes our world through thoughtful insights and irreverent humor.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/CAT_2_Tile-scaled.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Close All Tabs",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/closealltabs",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 1
},
"link": "/podcasts/closealltabs",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/close-all-tabs/id214663465",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC6993880386",
"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/92d9d4ac-67a3-4eed-b10a-fb45d45b1ef2/close-all-tabs",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/6LAJFHnGK1pYXYzv6SIol6?si=deb0cae19813417c"
}
},
"code-switch-life-kit": {
"id": "code-switch-life-kit",
"title": "Code Switch / Life Kit",
"info": "\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em>, which listeners will hear in the first part of the hour, has fearless and much-needed conversations about race. Hosted by journalists of color, the show tackles the subject of race head-on, exploring how it impacts every part of society — from politics and pop culture to history, sports and more.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em>, which will be in the second part of the hour, guides you through spaces and feelings no one prepares you for — from finances to mental health, from workplace microaggressions to imposter syndrome, from relationships to parenting. The show features experts with real world experience and shares their knowledge. Because everyone needs a little help being human.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510312/codeswitch\">\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/lifekit\">\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />",
"airtime": "SUN 9pm-10pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Code-Switch-Life-Kit-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/code-switch-life-kit",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/1112190608?mt=2&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnByLm9yZy9yc3MvcG9kY2FzdC5waHA_aWQ9NTEwMzEy",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/3bExJ9JQpkwNhoHvaIIuyV",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510312/podcast.xml"
}
},
"commonwealth-club": {
"id": "commonwealth-club",
"title": "Commonwealth Club of California Podcast",
"info": "The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum. As a non-partisan forum, The Club brings to the public airwaves diverse viewpoints on important topics. The Club's weekly radio broadcast - the oldest in the U.S., dating back to 1924 - is carried across the nation on public radio stations and is now podcasting. Our website archive features audio of our recent programs, as well as selected speeches from our long and distinguished history. This podcast feed is usually updated twice a week and is always un-edited.",
"airtime": "THU 10pm, FRI 1am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Commonwealth-Club-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.commonwealthclub.org/podcasts",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "Commonwealth Club of California"
},
"link": "/radio/program/commonwealth-club",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/commonwealth-club-of-california-podcast/id976334034?mt=2",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5jb21tb253ZWFsdGhjbHViLm9yZy9hdWRpby9wb2RjYXN0L3dlZWtseS54bWw",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Commonwealth-Club-of-California-p1060/"
}
},
"forum": {
"id": "forum",
"title": "Forum",
"tagline": "The conversation starts here",
"info": "KQED’s live call-in program discussing local, state, national and international issues, as well as in-depth interviews.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 9am-11am, 10pm-11pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Forum-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Forum with Mina Kim and Alexis Madrigal",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/forum",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 9
},
"link": "/forum",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kqeds-forum/id73329719",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM5NTU3MzgxNjMz",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/432307980/forum",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqedfm-kqeds-forum-podcast",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC9557381633"
}
},
"freakonomics-radio": {
"id": "freakonomics-radio",
"title": "Freakonomics Radio",
"info": "Freakonomics Radio is a one-hour award-winning podcast and public-radio project hosted by Stephen Dubner, with co-author Steve Levitt as a regular guest. It is produced in partnership with WNYC.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/05/freakonomicsRadio.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://freakonomics.com/",
"airtime": "SUN 1am-2am, SAT 3pm-4pm",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "WNYC"
},
"link": "/radio/program/freakonomics-radio",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/4s8b",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/freakonomics-radio/id354668519",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/WNYC-Podcasts/Freakonomics-Radio-p272293/",
"rss": "https://feeds.feedburner.com/freakonomicsradio"
}
},
"fresh-air": {
"id": "fresh-air",
"title": "Fresh Air",
"info": "Hosted by Terry Gross, \u003cem>Fresh Air from WHYY\u003c/em> is the Peabody Award-winning weekday magazine of contemporary arts and issues. One of public radio's most popular programs, Fresh Air features intimate conversations with today's biggest luminaries.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 7pm-8pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Fresh-Air-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/fresh-air/",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/fresh-air",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/4s8b",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=214089682&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Fresh-Air-p17/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/381444908/podcast.xml"
}
},
"here-and-now": {
"id": "here-and-now",
"title": "Here & Now",
"info": "A live production of NPR and WBUR Boston, in collaboration with stations across the country, Here & Now reflects the fluid world of news as it's happening in the middle of the day, with timely, in-depth news, interviews and conversation. Hosted by Robin Young, Jeremy Hobson and Tonya Mosley.",
"airtime": "MON-THU 11am-12pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Here-And-Now-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://www.wbur.org/hereandnow",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/here-and-now",
"subsdcribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?mt=2&id=426698661",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Here--Now-p211/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510051/podcast.xml"
}
},
"hidden-brain": {
"id": "hidden-brain",
"title": "Hidden Brain",
"info": "Shankar Vedantam uses science and storytelling to reveal the unconscious patterns that drive human behavior, shape our choices and direct our relationships.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/05/hiddenbrain.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/series/423302056/hidden-brain",
"airtime": "SUN 7pm-8pm",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "NPR"
},
"link": "/radio/program/hidden-brain",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/hidden-brain/id1028908750?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/Science-Podcasts/Hidden-Brain-p787503/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510308/podcast.xml"
}
},
"how-i-built-this": {
"id": "how-i-built-this",
"title": "How I Built This with Guy Raz",
"info": "Guy Raz dives into the stories behind some of the world's best known companies. How I Built This weaves a narrative journey about innovators, entrepreneurs and idealists—and the movements they built.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/05/howIBuiltThis.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510313/how-i-built-this",
"airtime": "SUN 7:30pm-8pm",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/how-i-built-this",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/3zxy",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/how-i-built-this-with-guy-raz/id1150510297?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/Arts--Culture-Podcasts/How-I-Built-This-p910896/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510313/podcast.xml"
}
},
"hyphenacion": {
"id": "hyphenacion",
"title": "Hyphenación",
"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. ",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Hyphenacion_FinalAssets_PodcastTile.png",
"imageAlt": "KQED Hyphenación",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/hyphenacion",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 15
},
"link": "/podcasts/hyphenacion",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hyphenaci%C3%B3n/id1191591838",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/2p3Fifq96nw9BPcmFdIq0o?si=39209f7b25774f38",
"youtube": "https://www.youtube.com/c/kqedarts",
"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/6c3dd23c-93fb-4aab-97ba-1725fa6315f1/hyphenaci%C3%B3n",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC2275451163"
}
},
"jerrybrown": {
"id": "jerrybrown",
"title": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown",
"tagline": "Lessons from a lifetime in politics",
"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. ",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Political-Mind-of-Jerry-Brown-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The Political Mind of Jerry Brown",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/jerrybrown",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 18
},
"link": "/podcasts/jerrybrown",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/790253322/the-political-mind-of-jerry-brown",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1492194549",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/series/jerrybrown/feed/podcast/",
"tuneIn": "http://tun.in/pjGcK",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/the-political-mind-of-jerry-brown",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/54C1dmuyFyKMFttY6X2j6r?si=K8SgRCoISNK6ZbjpXrX5-w",
"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/44420f75-3b0e-4301-ab3b-16da6b09e543/the-political-mind-of-jerry-brown"
}
},
"latino-usa": {
"id": "latino-usa",
"title": "Latino USA",
"airtime": "MON 1am-2am, SUN 6pm-7pm",
"info": "Latino USA, the radio journal of news and culture, is the only national, English-language radio program produced from a Latino perspective.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/latinoUsa.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://latinousa.org/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/latino-usa",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/xtTd",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=79681317&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Latino-USA-p621/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510016/podcast.xml"
}
},
"marketplace": {
"id": "marketplace",
"title": "Marketplace",
"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",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Marketplace-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.marketplace.org/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "American Public Media"
},
"link": "/radio/program/marketplace",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=201853034&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/APM-Marketplace-p88/",
"rss": "https://feeds.publicradio.org/public_feeds/marketplace-pm/rss/rss"
}
},
"masters-of-scale": {
"id": "masters-of-scale",
"title": "Masters of Scale",
"info": "Masters of Scale is an original podcast in which LinkedIn co-founder and Greylock Partner Reid Hoffman sets out to describe and prove theories that explain how great entrepreneurs take their companies from zero to a gazillion in ingenious fashion.",
"airtime": "Every other Wednesday June 12 through October 16 at 8pm (repeats Thursdays at 2am)",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Masters-of-Scale-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://mastersofscale.com/",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "WaitWhat"
},
"link": "/radio/program/masters-of-scale",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "http://mastersofscale.app.link/",
"rss": "https://rss.art19.com/masters-of-scale"
}
},
"mindshift": {
"id": "mindshift",
"title": "MindShift",
"tagline": "A podcast about the future of learning and how we raise our kids",
"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>",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Mindshift-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED MindShift: How We Will Learn",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/mindshift/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 12
},
"link": "/podcasts/mindshift",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mindshift-podcast/id1078765985",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM1NzY0NjAwNDI5",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/464615685/mind-shift-podcast",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/stories-teachers-share",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/0MxSpNYZKNprFLCl7eEtyx"
}
},
"morning-edition": {
"id": "morning-edition",
"title": "Morning Edition",
"info": "\u003cem>Morning Edition\u003c/em> takes listeners around the country and the world with multi-faceted stories and commentaries every weekday. Hosts Steve Inskeep, David Greene and Rachel Martin bring you the latest breaking news and features to prepare you for the day.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 3am-9am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Morning-Edition-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/morning-edition/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/morning-edition"
},
"onourwatch": {
"id": "onourwatch",
"title": "On Our Watch",
"tagline": "Deeply-reported investigative journalism",
"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?",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/On-Our-Watch-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "On Our Watch from NPR and KQED",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/onourwatch",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 11
},
"link": "/podcasts/onourwatch",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1567098962",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5ucHIub3JnLzUxMDM2MC9wb2RjYXN0LnhtbD9zYz1nb29nbGVwb2RjYXN0cw",
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/onourwatch",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/0OLWoyizopu6tY1XiuX70x",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/On-Our-Watch-p1436229/",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/show/on-our-watch",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510360/podcast.xml"
}
},
"on-the-media": {
"id": "on-the-media",
"title": "On The Media",
"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",
"airtime": "SUN 2pm-3pm, MON 12am-1am",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/onTheMedia.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/otm",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "wnyc"
},
"link": "/radio/program/on-the-media",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/on-the-media/id73330715?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/On-the-Media-p69/",
"rss": "http://feeds.wnyc.org/onthemedia"
}
},
"pbs-newshour": {
"id": "pbs-newshour",
"title": "PBS NewsHour",
"info": "Analysis, background reports and updates from the PBS NewsHour putting today's news in context.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 3pm-4pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/PBS-News-Hour-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.pbs.org/newshour/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "pbs"
},
"link": "/radio/program/pbs-newshour",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/pbs-newshour-full-show/id394432287?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/PBS-NewsHour---Full-Show-p425698/",
"rss": "https://www.pbs.org/newshour/feeds/rss/podcasts/show"
}
},
"perspectives": {
"id": "perspectives",
"title": "Perspectives",
"tagline": "KQED's series of daily listener commentaries since 1991",
"info": "KQED's series of daily listener commentaries since 1991.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Perspectives_Tile_Final.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Perspectives",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/perspectives/",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 14
},
"link": "/perspectives",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id73801135",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/432309616/perspectives",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/perspectives/category/perspectives/feed/",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93dzIua3FlZC5vcmcvcGVyc3BlY3RpdmVzL2NhdGVnb3J5L3BlcnNwZWN0aXZlcy9mZWVkLw"
}
},
"planet-money": {
"id": "planet-money",
"title": "Planet Money",
"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.",
"airtime": "SUN 3pm-4pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/planetmoney.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/sections/money/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/planet-money",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/M4f5",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/planet-money/id290783428?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/Business--Economics-Podcasts/Planet-Money-p164680/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510289/podcast.xml"
}
},
"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",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Political-Breakdown-2024-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Political Breakdown",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/politicalbreakdown",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 5
},
"link": "/podcasts/politicalbreakdown",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/political-breakdown/id1327641087",
"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/e0c2d153-ad36-4c8d-901d-f1da6a724824/political-breakdown",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/572155894/political-breakdown",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/political-breakdown",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/07RVyIjIdk2WDuVehvBMoN",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/tag/political-breakdown/feed/podcast"
}
},
"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",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Possible-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.possible.fm/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "Possible"
},
"link": "/radio/program/possible",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/possible/id1677184070",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/730YpdUSNlMyPQwNnyjp4k"
}
},
"pri-the-world": {
"id": "pri-the-world",
"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.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 2pm-3pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-World-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.pri.org/programs/the-world",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "PRI"
},
"link": "/radio/program/pri-the-world",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/pris-the-world-latest-edition/id278196007?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/News--Politics-Podcasts/PRIs-The-World-p24/",
"rss": "http://feeds.feedburner.com/pri/theworld"
}
},
"radiolab": {
"id": "radiolab",
"title": "Radiolab",
"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.",
"airtime": "SUN 12am-1am, SAT 2pm-3pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/radiolab1400.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/radiolab/",
"meta": {
"site": "science",
"source": "WNYC"
},
"link": "/radio/program/radiolab",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/radiolab/id152249110?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/RadioLab-p68032/",
"rss": "https://feeds.wnyc.org/radiolab"
}
},
"reveal": {
"id": "reveal",
"title": "Reveal",
"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.",
"airtime": "SAT 4pm-5pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/reveal300px.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.revealnews.org/episodes/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/reveal",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/reveal/id886009669",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Reveal-p679597/",
"rss": "http://feeds.revealradio.org/revealpodcast"
}
},
"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.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Rightnowish-Podcast-Tile-500x500-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Rightnowish with Pendarvis Harshaw",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/rightnowish",
"meta": {
"site": "arts",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 16
},
"link": "/podcasts/rightnowish",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/721590300/rightnowish",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/programs/rightnowish/feed/podcast",
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rightnowish/id1482187648",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/rightnowish",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkMxMjU5MTY3NDc4",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/7kEJuafTzTVan7B78ttz1I"
}
},
"science-friday": {
"id": "science-friday",
"title": "Science Friday",
"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.",
"airtime": "FRI 11am-1pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Science-Friday-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/science-friday",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/science-friday",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=73329284&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Science-Friday-p394/",
"rss": "http://feeds.wnyc.org/science-friday"
}
},
"snap-judgment": {
"id": "snap-judgment",
"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",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Snap-Judgment-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Snap Judgment",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://snapjudgment.org",
"meta": {
"site": "arts",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 4
},
"link": "https://snapjudgment.org",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/snap-judgment/id283657561",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/449018144/snap-judgment",
"stitcher": "https://www.pandora.com/podcast/snap-judgment/PC:241?source=stitcher-sunset",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/3Cct7ZWmxHNAtLgBTqjC5v",
"rss": "https://snap.feed.snapjudgment.org/"
}
},
"soldout": {
"id": "soldout",
"title": "SOLD OUT: Rethinking Housing in America",
"tagline": "A new future for housing",
"info": "Sold Out: Rethinking Housing in America",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Sold-Out-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Sold Out: Rethinking Housing in America",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/soldout",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 13
},
"link": "/podcasts/soldout",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/911586047/s-o-l-d-o-u-t-a-new-future-for-housing",
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/introducing-sold-out-rethinking-housing-in-america/id1531354937",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/soldout",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/38dTBSk2ISFoPiyYNoKn1X",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/sold-out-rethinking-housing-in-america",
"tunein": "https://tunein.com/radio/SOLD-OUT-Rethinking-Housing-in-America-p1365871/"
}
},
"spooked": {
"id": "spooked",
"title": "Spooked",
"tagline": "True-life supernatural stories",
"info": "",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Spooked-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Spooked",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://spookedpodcast.org/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 7
},
"link": "https://spookedpodcast.org/",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/spooked/id1279361017",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/549547848/snap-judgment-presents-spooked",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/76571Rfl3m7PLJQZKQIGCT",
"rss": "https://feeds.simplecast.com/TBotaapn"
}
},
"tech-nation": {
"id": "tech-nation",
"title": "Tech Nation Radio Podcast",
"info": "Tech Nation is a weekly public radio program, hosted by Dr. Moira Gunn. Founded in 1993, it has grown from a simple interview show to a multi-faceted production, featuring conversations with noted technology and science leaders, and a weekly science and technology-related commentary.",
"airtime": "FRI 10pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Tech-Nation-Radio-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://technation.podomatic.com/",
"meta": {
"site": "science",
"source": "Tech Nation Media"
},
"link": "/radio/program/tech-nation",
"subscribe": {
"rss": "https://technation.podomatic.com/rss2.xml"
}
},
"ted-radio-hour": {
"id": "ted-radio-hour",
"title": "TED Radio Hour",
"info": "The TED Radio Hour is a journey through fascinating ideas, astonishing inventions, fresh approaches to old problems, and new ways to think and create.",
"airtime": "SUN 3pm-4pm, SAT 10pm-11pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/tedRadioHour.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/ted-radio-hour/?showDate=2018-06-22",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/ted-radio-hour",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/8vsS",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=523121474&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/TED-Radio-Hour-p418021/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510298/podcast.xml"
}
},
"thebay": {
"id": "thebay",
"title": "The Bay",
"tagline": "Local news to keep you rooted",
"info": "Host Devin Katayama walks you through the biggest story of the day with reporters and newsmakers.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Bay-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The Bay",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/thebay",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 2
},
"link": "/podcasts/thebay",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-bay/id1350043452",
"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/d800ea4c-7a2c-42f2-b861-edaf78a5db0b/the-bay",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/586725995/the-bay",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/the-bay",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/4BIKBKIujizLHlIlBNaAqQ",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC8259786327"
}
},
"thelatest": {
"id": "thelatest",
"title": "The Latest",
"tagline": "Trusted local news in real time",
"info": "",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/The-Latest-2025-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The Latest",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/thelatest",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 6
},
"link": "/thelatest",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-latest-from-kqed/id1197721799",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/1257949365/the-latest-from-k-q-e-d",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/5KIIXMgM9GTi5AepwOYvIZ?si=bd3053fec7244dba",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC9137121918"
}
},
"theleap": {
"id": "theleap",
"title": "The Leap",
"tagline": "What if you closed your eyes, and jumped?",
"info": "Stories about people making dramatic, risky changes, told by award-winning public radio reporter Judy Campbell.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Leap-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The Leap",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/theleap",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 17
},
"link": "/podcasts/theleap",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-leap/id1046668171",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/447248267/the-leap",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/the-leap",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/3sSlVHHzU0ytLwuGs1SD1U",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/programs/the-leap/feed/podcast"
}
},
"the-moth-radio-hour": {
"id": "the-moth-radio-hour",
"title": "The Moth Radio Hour",
"info": "Since its launch in 1997, The Moth has presented thousands of true stories, told live and without notes, to standing-room-only crowds worldwide. Moth storytellers stand alone, under a spotlight, with only a microphone and a roomful of strangers. The storyteller and the audience embark on a high-wire act of shared experience which is both terrifying and exhilarating. Since 2008, The Moth podcast has featured many of our favorite stories told live on Moth stages around the country. For information on all of our programs and live events, visit themoth.org.",
"airtime": "SAT 8pm-9pm and SUN 11am-12pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/theMoth.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://themoth.org/",
"meta": {
"site": "arts",
"source": "prx"
},
"link": "/radio/program/the-moth-radio-hour",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-moth-podcast/id275699983?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/The-Moth-p273888/",
"rss": "http://feeds.themoth.org/themothpodcast"
}
},
"the-new-yorker-radio-hour": {
"id": "the-new-yorker-radio-hour",
"title": "The New Yorker Radio Hour",
"info": "The New Yorker Radio Hour is a weekly program presented by the magazine's editor, David Remnick, and produced by WNYC Studios and The New Yorker. Each episode features a diverse mix of interviews, profiles, storytelling, and an occasional burst of humor inspired by the magazine, and shaped by its writers, artists, and editors. This isn't a radio version of a magazine, but something all its own, reflecting the rich possibilities of audio storytelling and conversation. Theme music for the show was composed and performed by Merrill Garbus of tUnE-YArDs.",
"airtime": "SAT 10am-11am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-New-Yorker-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/tnyradiohour",
"meta": {
"site": "arts",
"source": "WNYC"
},
"link": "/radio/program/the-new-yorker-radio-hour",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1050430296",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/WNYC-Podcasts/New-Yorker-Radio-Hour-p803804/",
"rss": "https://feeds.feedburner.com/newyorkerradiohour"
}
},
"the-sam-sanders-show": {
"id": "the-sam-sanders-show",
"title": "The Sam Sanders Show",
"info": "One of public radio's most dynamic voices, Sam Sanders helped launch The NPR Politics Podcast and hosted NPR's hit show It's Been A Minute. Now, the award-winning host returns with something brand new, The Sam Sanders Show. Every week, Sam Sanders and friends dig into the culture that shapes our lives: what's driving the biggest trends, how artists really think, and even the memes you can't stop scrolling past. Sam is beloved for his way of unpacking the world and bringing you up close to fresh currents and engaging conversations. The Sam Sanders Show is smart, funny and always a good time.",
"airtime": "FRI 12-1pm AND SAT 11am-12pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/The-Sam-Sanders-Show-Podcast-Tile-400x400-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.kcrw.com/shows/the-sam-sanders-show/latest",
"meta": {
"site": "arts",
"source": "KCRW"
},
"link": "https://www.kcrw.com/shows/the-sam-sanders-show/latest",
"subscribe": {
"rss": "https://feed.cdnstream1.com/zjb/feed/download/ac/28/59/ac28594c-e1d0-4231-8728-61865cdc80e8.xml"
}
},
"the-splendid-table": {
"id": "the-splendid-table",
"title": "The Splendid Table",
"info": "\u003cem>The Splendid Table\u003c/em> hosts our nation's conversations about cooking, sustainability and food culture.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Splendid-Table-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.splendidtable.org/",
"airtime": "SUN 10-11 pm",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/the-splendid-table"
},
"this-american-life": {
"id": "this-american-life",
"title": "This American Life",
"info": "This American Life is a weekly public radio show, heard by 2.2 million people on more than 500 stations. Another 2.5 million people download the weekly podcast. It is hosted by Ira Glass, produced in collaboration with Chicago Public Media, delivered to stations by PRX The Public Radio Exchange, and has won all of the major broadcasting awards.",
"airtime": "SAT 12pm-1pm, 7pm-8pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/thisAmericanLife.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.thisamericanlife.org/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "wbez"
},
"link": "/radio/program/this-american-life",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=201671138&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"rss": "https://www.thisamericanlife.org/podcast/rss.xml"
}
},
"tinydeskradio": {
"id": "tinydeskradio",
"title": "Tiny Desk Radio",
"info": "We're bringing the best of Tiny Desk to the airwaves, only on public radio.",
"airtime": "SUN 8pm and SAT 9pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/300x300-For-Member-Station-Logo-Tiny-Desk-Radio-@2x.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/series/g-s1-52030/tiny-desk-radio",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/tinydeskradio",
"subscribe": {
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/g-s1-52030/rss.xml"
}
},
"wait-wait-dont-tell-me": {
"id": "wait-wait-dont-tell-me",
"title": "Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!",
"info": "Peter Sagal and Bill Kurtis host the weekly NPR News quiz show alongside some of the best and brightest news and entertainment personalities.",
"airtime": "SUN 10am-11am, SAT 11am-12pm, SAT 6pm-7pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Wait-Wait-Podcast-Tile-300x300-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/wait-wait-dont-tell-me/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/wait-wait-dont-tell-me",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/Xogv",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=121493804&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Wait-Wait-Dont-Tell-Me-p46/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/344098539/podcast.xml"
}
},
"weekend-edition-saturday": {
"id": "weekend-edition-saturday",
"title": "Weekend Edition Saturday",
"info": "Weekend Edition Saturday wraps up the week's news and offers a mix of analysis and features on a wide range of topics, including arts, sports, entertainment, and human interest stories. The two-hour program is hosted by NPR's Peabody Award-winning Scott Simon.",
"airtime": "SAT 5am-10am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Weekend-Edition-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/weekend-edition-saturday/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/weekend-edition-saturday"
},
"weekend-edition-sunday": {
"id": "weekend-edition-sunday",
"title": "Weekend Edition Sunday",
"info": "Weekend Edition Sunday features interviews with newsmakers, artists, scientists, politicians, musicians, writers, theologians and historians. The program has covered news events from Nelson Mandela's 1990 release from a South African prison to the capture of Saddam Hussein.",
"airtime": "SUN 5am-10am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Weekend-Edition-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/weekend-edition-sunday/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/weekend-edition-sunday"
}
},
"racesReducer": {},
"racesGenElectionReducer": {},
"racesGenElection2026Reducer": {},
"radioSchedulesReducer": {},
"listsReducer": {
"posts/news?tag=labor": {
"isFetching": false,
"latestQuery": {
"from": 72,
"size": 12
},
"vitalsOnly": false,
"totalRequested": 12,
"isLoading": false,
"isLoadingMore": true,
"total": {
"value": 1051,
"relation": "eq"
},
"items": [
"news_12074913",
"news_12074794",
"news_12074650",
"news_12074694",
"news_12074690",
"news_12074462",
"news_12074453",
"news_12074265",
"news_12073887",
"news_12073839",
"news_12073611",
"news_12073484"
],
"complete": true
}
},
"recallGuideReducer": {
"intros": {},
"policy": {},
"candidates": {}
},
"savedArticleReducer": {
"articles": [],
"status": {}
},
"newslettersReducer": {
"isFetching": false,
"fetchFailed": false,
"hasFetched": false,
"newsletters": {},
"isSubscribing": false,
"isUnsubscribing": false,
"subscribedNewsletters": {}
},
"termsReducer": {
"about": {
"name": "About",
"type": "terms",
"id": "about",
"slug": "about",
"link": "/about",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"arts": {
"name": "Arts & Culture",
"grouping": [
"arts",
"pop",
"trulyca"
],
"description": "KQED Arts provides daily in-depth coverage of the Bay Area's music, art, film, performing arts, literature and arts news, as well as cultural commentary and criticism.",
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts",
"slug": "arts",
"link": "/arts",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"artschool": {
"name": "Art School",
"parent": "arts",
"type": "terms",
"id": "artschool",
"slug": "artschool",
"link": "/artschool",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"bayareabites": {
"name": "KQED food",
"grouping": [
"food",
"bayareabites",
"checkplease"
],
"parent": "food",
"type": "terms",
"id": "bayareabites",
"slug": "bayareabites",
"link": "/food",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"bayareahiphop": {
"name": "Bay Area Hiphop",
"type": "terms",
"id": "bayareahiphop",
"slug": "bayareahiphop",
"link": "/bayareahiphop",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"campaign21": {
"name": "Campaign 21",
"type": "terms",
"id": "campaign21",
"slug": "campaign21",
"link": "/campaign21",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"careers": {
"name": "Careers",
"type": "terms",
"id": "careers",
"slug": "careers",
"link": "/careers",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"checkplease": {
"name": "KQED food",
"grouping": [
"food",
"bayareabites",
"checkplease"
],
"parent": "food",
"type": "terms",
"id": "checkplease",
"slug": "checkplease",
"link": "/food",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"education": {
"name": "Education",
"grouping": [
"education"
],
"type": "terms",
"id": "education",
"slug": "education",
"link": "/education",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"elections": {
"name": "Elections",
"type": "terms",
"id": "elections",
"slug": "elections",
"link": "/elections",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"events": {
"name": "Events",
"type": "terms",
"id": "events",
"slug": "events",
"link": "/events",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"event": {
"name": "Event",
"alias": "events",
"type": "terms",
"id": "event",
"slug": "event",
"link": "/event",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"filmschoolshorts": {
"name": "Film School Shorts",
"type": "terms",
"id": "filmschoolshorts",
"slug": "filmschoolshorts",
"link": "/filmschoolshorts",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"food": {
"name": "KQED food",
"grouping": [
"food",
"bayareabites",
"checkplease"
],
"type": "terms",
"id": "food",
"slug": "food",
"link": "/food",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"forum": {
"name": "Forum",
"relatedContentQuery": "posts/forum?",
"parent": "news",
"type": "terms",
"id": "forum",
"slug": "forum",
"link": "/forum",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"futureofyou": {
"name": "Future of You",
"grouping": [
"science",
"futureofyou"
],
"parent": "science",
"type": "terms",
"id": "futureofyou",
"slug": "futureofyou",
"link": "/futureofyou",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"jpepinheart": {
"name": "KQED food",
"relatedContentQuery": "posts/food,bayareabites,checkplease",
"parent": "food",
"type": "terms",
"id": "jpepinheart",
"slug": "jpepinheart",
"link": "/food",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"liveblog": {
"name": "Live Blog",
"type": "terms",
"id": "liveblog",
"slug": "liveblog",
"link": "/liveblog",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"livetv": {
"name": "Live TV",
"parent": "tv",
"type": "terms",
"id": "livetv",
"slug": "livetv",
"link": "/livetv",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"lowdown": {
"name": "The Lowdown",
"relatedContentQuery": "posts/lowdown?",
"parent": "news",
"type": "terms",
"id": "lowdown",
"slug": "lowdown",
"link": "/lowdown",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"mindshift": {
"name": "Mindshift",
"parent": "news",
"description": "MindShift explores the future of education by highlighting the innovative – and sometimes counterintuitive – ways educators and parents are helping all children succeed.",
"type": "terms",
"id": "mindshift",
"slug": "mindshift",
"link": "/mindshift",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"news": {
"name": "News",
"grouping": [
"news",
"forum"
],
"type": "terms",
"id": "news",
"slug": "news",
"link": "/news",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"newsletters": {
"name": "newsletters",
"type": "terms",
"id": "newsletters",
"slug": "newsletters",
"link": "/newsletters",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"perspectives": {
"name": "Perspectives",
"parent": "radio",
"type": "terms",
"id": "perspectives",
"slug": "perspectives",
"link": "/perspectives",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"podcasts": {
"name": "Podcasts",
"type": "terms",
"id": "podcasts",
"slug": "podcasts",
"link": "/podcasts",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"pop": {
"name": "Pop",
"parent": "arts",
"type": "terms",
"id": "pop",
"slug": "pop",
"link": "/pop",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"pressroom": {
"name": "Pressroom",
"type": "terms",
"id": "pressroom",
"slug": "pressroom",
"link": "/pressroom",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"quest": {
"name": "Quest",
"parent": "science",
"type": "terms",
"id": "quest",
"slug": "quest",
"link": "/quest",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"radio": {
"name": "Radio",
"grouping": [
"forum",
"perspectives"
],
"description": "Listen to KQED Public Radio – home of Forum and The California Report – on 88.5 FM in San Francisco, 89.3 FM in Sacramento, 88.3 FM in Santa Rosa and 88.1 FM in Martinez.",
"type": "terms",
"id": "radio",
"slug": "radio",
"link": "/radio",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"root": {
"name": "KQED",
"image": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"imageWidth": 1200,
"imageHeight": 630,
"headData": {
"title": "KQED | News, Radio, Podcasts, TV | Public Media for Northern California",
"description": "KQED provides public radio, television, and independent reporting on issues that matter to the Bay Area. We’re the NPR and PBS member station for Northern California."
},
"type": "terms",
"id": "root",
"slug": "root",
"link": "/root",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"science": {
"name": "Science",
"grouping": [
"science",
"futureofyou"
],
"description": "KQED Science brings you award-winning science and environment coverage from the Bay Area and beyond.",
"type": "terms",
"id": "science",
"slug": "science",
"link": "/science",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"stateofhealth": {
"name": "State of Health",
"parent": "science",
"type": "terms",
"id": "stateofhealth",
"slug": "stateofhealth",
"link": "/stateofhealth",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"support": {
"name": "Support",
"type": "terms",
"id": "support",
"slug": "support",
"link": "/support",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"thedolist": {
"name": "The Do List",
"parent": "arts",
"type": "terms",
"id": "thedolist",
"slug": "thedolist",
"link": "/thedolist",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"trulyca": {
"name": "Truly CA",
"grouping": [
"arts",
"pop",
"trulyca"
],
"parent": "arts",
"type": "terms",
"id": "trulyca",
"slug": "trulyca",
"link": "/trulyca",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"tv": {
"name": "TV",
"type": "terms",
"id": "tv",
"slug": "tv",
"link": "/tv",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"voterguide": {
"name": "Voter Guide",
"parent": "elections",
"alias": "elections",
"type": "terms",
"id": "voterguide",
"slug": "voterguide",
"link": "/voterguide",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"guiaelectoral": {
"name": "Guia Electoral",
"parent": "elections",
"alias": "elections",
"type": "terms",
"id": "guiaelectoral",
"slug": "guiaelectoral",
"link": "/guiaelectoral",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"news_tag_labor": {
"isLoading": true
},
"news_19904": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_19904",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "19904",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"name": "Labor",
"slug": "labor",
"taxonomy": "tag",
"description": null,
"featImg": null,
"headData": {
"title": "Labor | KQED News",
"description": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogDescription": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"twDescription": null,
"twImgId": null
},
"ttid": 19921,
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/labor"
},
"source_news_12073611": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "source_news_12073611",
"meta": {
"override": true
},
"name": "The Bay",
"link": "https://www.kqed.org/podcasts/thebay",
"isLoading": false
},
"news_18540": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_18540",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "18540",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Education",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Education Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 2595,
"slug": "education",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/category/education"
},
"news_34551": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_34551",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "34551",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"name": "Labor",
"slug": "labor",
"taxonomy": "category",
"description": "We examine worker safety, workplace regulation, employment trends and union organizing.",
"featImg": null,
"headData": {
"title": "Labor | KQED News",
"description": "We examine worker safety, workplace regulation, employment trends and union organizing.",
"ogTitle": null,
"ogDescription": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"twDescription": null,
"twImgId": null
},
"ttid": 34568,
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/category/labor"
},
"news_28250": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_28250",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "28250",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Local",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Local Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 28267,
"slug": "local",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/category/local"
},
"news_8": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_8",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "8",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "News",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "News Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 8,
"slug": "news",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/category/news"
},
"news_20013": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_20013",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "20013",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "education",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "education Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 20030,
"slug": "education",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/education"
},
"news_38": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_38",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "38",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "San Francisco",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "San Francisco Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 58,
"slug": "san-francisco",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/san-francisco"
},
"news_30812": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_30812",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "30812",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "san francisco teachers",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "san francisco teachers Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 30829,
"slug": "san-francisco-teachers",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/san-francisco-teachers"
},
"news_33375": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_33375",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "33375",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "san francisco teachers' union",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "san francisco teachers' union Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 33392,
"slug": "san-francisco-teachers-union",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/san-francisco-teachers-union"
},
"news_3946": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_3946",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "3946",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "San Francisco Unified School District",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "San Francisco Unified School District Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 3965,
"slug": "san-francisco-unified-school-district",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/san-francisco-unified-school-district"
},
"news_1290": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_1290",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "1290",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "SFUSD",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "SFUSD Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 1302,
"slug": "sfusd",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/sfusd"
},
"news_30789": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_30789",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "30789",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "United Educators of San Francisco",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "United Educators of San Francisco Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 30806,
"slug": "united-educators-of-san-francisco",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/united-educators-of-san-francisco"
},
"news_33746": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_33746",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "33746",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Education",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "interest",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Education Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 33763,
"slug": "education",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/interest/education"
},
"news_33733": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_33733",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "33733",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "News",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "interest",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "News Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 33750,
"slug": "news",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/interest/news"
},
"news_33729": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_33729",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "33729",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "San Francisco",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "interest",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "San Francisco Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 33746,
"slug": "san-francisco",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/interest/san-francisco"
},
"news_18352": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_18352",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "18352",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "East Bay",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "East Bay Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 18386,
"slug": "east-bay",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/east-bay"
},
"news_24590": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_24590",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "24590",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "labor strikes",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "labor strikes Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 24607,
"slug": "labor-strikes",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/labor-strikes"
},
"news_34054": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_34054",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "34054",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "oakland",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "oakland Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 34071,
"slug": "oakland",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/oakland"
},
"news_2432": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_2432",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "2432",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Oakland Education Association",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Oakland Education Association Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 2447,
"slug": "oakland-education-association",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/oakland-education-association"
},
"news_1826": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_1826",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "1826",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Oakland Unified School District",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Oakland Unified School District Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 1841,
"slug": "oakland-unified-school-district",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/oakland-unified-school-district"
},
"news_3366": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_3366",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "3366",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "OUSD",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "OUSD Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 3384,
"slug": "ousd",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/ousd"
},
"news_24807": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_24807",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "24807",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "teachers strike",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "teachers strike Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 24824,
"slug": "teachers-strike",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/teachers-strike"
},
"news_33730": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_33730",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "33730",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Oakland",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "interest",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Oakland Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 33747,
"slug": "oakland",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/interest/oakland"
},
"news_34168": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_34168",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "34168",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"name": "Guides and Explainers",
"slug": "guides-and-explainers",
"taxonomy": "category",
"description": null,
"featImg": null,
"headData": {
"title": "Guides and Explainers Archives | KQED News",
"description": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogDescription": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"twDescription": null,
"twImgId": null
},
"ttid": 34185,
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/category/guides-and-explainers"
},
"news_32707": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_32707",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "32707",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "audience-news",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "audience-news Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 32724,
"slug": "audience-news",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/audience-news"
},
"news_35888": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_35888",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "35888",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"name": "featured-audience-news",
"slug": "featured-audience-news",
"taxonomy": "tag",
"description": null,
"featImg": null,
"headData": {
"title": "featured-audience-news | KQED News",
"description": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogDescription": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"twDescription": null,
"twImgId": null
},
"ttid": 35905,
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/featured-audience-news"
},
"news_27626": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_27626",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "27626",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "featured-news",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "featured-news Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 27643,
"slug": "featured-news",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/featured-news"
},
"news_24851": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_24851",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "24851",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Oakland teachers",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Oakland teachers Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 24868,
"slug": "oakland-teachers",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/oakland-teachers"
},
"news_31016": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_31016",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "31016",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "oakland teachers strike",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "oakland teachers strike Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 31033,
"slug": "oakland-teachers-strike",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/oakland-teachers-strike"
},
"news_31988": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_31988",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "31988",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "teachers union",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "teachers union Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 32005,
"slug": "teachers-union",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/teachers-union"
},
"news_31795": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_31795",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "31795",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "California",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "California Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 31812,
"slug": "california",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/category/california"
},
"news_1169": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_1169",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "1169",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Immigration",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Immigration Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 1180,
"slug": "immigration",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/category/immigration"
},
"news_18538": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_18538",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "18538",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "California",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "California Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 31,
"slug": "california",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/california"
},
"news_36266": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_36266",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "36266",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"name": "commercial driver's licenses",
"slug": "commercial-drivers-licenses",
"taxonomy": "tag",
"description": null,
"featImg": null,
"headData": {
"title": "commercial driver's licenses | KQED News",
"description": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogDescription": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"twDescription": null,
"twImgId": null
},
"ttid": 36283,
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/commercial-drivers-licenses"
},
"news_1323": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_1323",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "1323",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Donald Trump",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Donald Trump Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 1335,
"slug": "donald-trump",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/donald-trump"
},
"news_17940": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_17940",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "17940",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Drivers' Licenses",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Drivers' Licenses Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 17974,
"slug": "drivers-licenses",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/drivers-licenses"
},
"news_20202": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_20202",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "20202",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "immigration",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "immigration Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 20219,
"slug": "immigration",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/immigration"
},
"news_36249": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_36249",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "36249",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"name": "truckers",
"slug": "truckers",
"taxonomy": "tag",
"description": null,
"featImg": null,
"headData": {
"title": "truckers | KQED News",
"description": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogDescription": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"twDescription": null,
"twImgId": null
},
"ttid": 36266,
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/truckers"
},
"news_33738": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_33738",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "33738",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "California",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "interest",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "California Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 33755,
"slug": "california",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/interest/california"
},
"news_33748": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_33748",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "33748",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Immigration",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "interest",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Immigration Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 33765,
"slug": "immigration",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/interest/immigration"
},
"news_6188": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_6188",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "6188",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Law and Justice",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Law and Justice Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 6212,
"slug": "law-and-justice",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/category/law-and-justice"
},
"news_35208": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_35208",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "35208",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"name": "clerk",
"slug": "clerk",
"taxonomy": "tag",
"description": null,
"featImg": null,
"headData": {
"title": "clerk | KQED News",
"description": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogDescription": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"twDescription": null,
"twImgId": null
},
"ttid": 35225,
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/clerk"
},
"news_17825": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_17825",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "17825",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "courts",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "courts Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 17859,
"slug": "courts",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/courts"
},
"news_19954": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_19954",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "19954",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Law and Justice",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Law and Justice Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 19971,
"slug": "law-and-justice",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/law-and-justice"
},
"news_30759": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_30759",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "30759",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"name": "San Francisco Superior Court",
"slug": "san-francisco-superior-court",
"taxonomy": "tag",
"description": null,
"featImg": null,
"headData": {
"title": "San Francisco Superior Court | KQED News",
"description": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogDescription": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"twDescription": null,
"twImgId": null,
"metaRobotsNoIndex": "noindex"
},
"ttid": 30776,
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/san-francisco-superior-court"
},
"news_457": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_457",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "457",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Health",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Health Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 16998,
"slug": "health",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/category/health"
},
"news_18848": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_18848",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "18848",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Alameda",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Alameda Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 18865,
"slug": "alameda",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/alameda"
},
"news_260": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_260",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "260",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Alameda County",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Alameda County Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 268,
"slug": "alameda-county",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/alameda-county"
},
"news_18543": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_18543",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "18543",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Health",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Health Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 466,
"slug": "health",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/health"
},
"news_35118": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_35118",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "35118",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"name": "health care",
"slug": "health-care",
"taxonomy": "tag",
"description": null,
"featImg": null,
"headData": {
"title": "health care | KQED News",
"description": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogDescription": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"twDescription": null,
"twImgId": null
},
"ttid": 35135,
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/health-care"
},
"news_33741": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_33741",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "33741",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "East Bay",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "interest",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "East Bay Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 33758,
"slug": "east-bay",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/interest/east-bay"
},
"news_33747": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_33747",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "33747",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Health",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "interest",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Health Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 33764,
"slug": "health",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/interest/health"
},
"news_13": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_13",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "13",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"name": "Politics",
"slug": "politics",
"taxonomy": "category",
"description": null,
"featImg": null,
"headData": {
"title": "Politics | KQED News",
"description": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogDescription": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"twDescription": null,
"twImgId": null
},
"ttid": 13,
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/category/politics"
},
"news_4750": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_4750",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "4750",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "civil rights",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "civil rights Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 4769,
"slug": "civil-rights",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/civil-rights"
},
"news_21891": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_21891",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "21891",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "lawsuits",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "lawsuits Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 21908,
"slug": "lawsuits",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/lawsuits"
},
"news_20004": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_20004",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "20004",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "LGBTQ",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "LGBTQ Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 20021,
"slug": "lgbtq",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/lgbtq"
},
"news_2486": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_2486",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "2486",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "transgender",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "transgender Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 2501,
"slug": "transgender",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/transgender"
},
"news_35628": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_35628",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "35628",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"name": "transgender rights",
"slug": "transgender-rights",
"taxonomy": "tag",
"description": null,
"featImg": null,
"headData": {
"title": "transgender rights | KQED News",
"description": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogDescription": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"twDescription": null,
"twImgId": null
},
"ttid": 35645,
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/transgender-rights"
},
"news_17603": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_17603",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "17603",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Yosemite",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Yosemite Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 17637,
"slug": "yosemite",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/yosemite"
},
"news_4746": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_4746",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "4746",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Yosemite National Park",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Yosemite National Park Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 4765,
"slug": "yosemite-national-park",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/yosemite-national-park"
},
"news_33734": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_33734",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "33734",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Local Politics",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "interest",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Local Politics Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 33751,
"slug": "local-politics",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/interest/local-politics"
},
"news_1386": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_1386",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "1386",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Bay Area",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Bay Area Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 1398,
"slug": "bay-area",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/bay-area"
},
"news_24939": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_24939",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "24939",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "health care workers",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "health care workers Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 24956,
"slug": "health-care-workers",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/health-care-workers"
},
"news_421": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_421",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "421",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Kaiser Permanente",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Kaiser Permanente Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 430,
"slug": "kaiser-permanente",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/kaiser-permanente"
},
"news_33310": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_33310",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "33310",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"name": "kaiser workers",
"slug": "kaiser-workers",
"taxonomy": "tag",
"description": null,
"featImg": null,
"headData": {
"title": "kaiser workers | KQED News",
"description": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogDescription": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"twDescription": null,
"twImgId": null,
"metaRobotsNoIndex": "noindex"
},
"ttid": 33327,
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/kaiser-workers"
},
"news_33812": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_33812",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "33812",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Interests",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Interests Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 33829,
"slug": "interests",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/interests"
},
"news_22598": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_22598",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "22598",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "The Bay",
"description": "\u003cimg class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-11638190\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/02/TheBay_1200x6301.png\" alt=\"\" />\r\n\u003cbr/>\r\n\r\nEvery good story starts local. So that’s where we start. \u003ci>The Bay\u003c/i> is storytelling for daily news. KQED host Devin Katayama talks with reporters to help us make sense of what’s happening in the Bay Area. One story. One conversation. One idea.\r\n\r\n\u003cstrong>Subscribe to The Bay:\u003c/strong>\r\n\r\n\u003ca href=\"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-bay/id1350043452?mt=2\">\u003cimg src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/01/Listen_on_Apple_Podcasts_sRGB_US-e1515635079510.png\" />\u003c/a>",
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": "Every good story starts local. So that’s where we start. The Bay is storytelling for daily news. KQED host Devin Katayama talks with reporters to help us make sense of what’s happening in the Bay Area. One story. One conversation. One idea. Subscribe to The Bay:",
"title": "The Bay Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 22615,
"slug": "the-bay",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/the-bay"
},
"news_2109": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_2109",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "2109",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "mental health",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "mental health Archives | KQED News",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 2124,
"slug": "mental-health",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/mental-health"
},
"news_35994": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "news_35994",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "news",
"id": "35994",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"name": "mental health care",
"slug": "mental-health-care",
"taxonomy": "tag",
"description": null,
"featImg": null,
"headData": {
"title": "mental health care | KQED News",
"description": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogDescription": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"twDescription": null,
"twImgId": null
},
"ttid": 36011,
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/news/tag/mental-health-care"
}
},
"userPermissionsReducer": {
"wpLoggedIn": false
},
"eventsReducer": {},
"fssReducer": {},
"tvDailyScheduleReducer": {},
"tvWeeklyScheduleReducer": {},
"tvPrimetimeScheduleReducer": {},
"tvMonthlyScheduleReducer": {},
"userAccountReducer": {
"user": {
"email": null,
"emailStatus": "EMAIL_UNVALIDATED",
"loggedStatus": "LOGGED_OUT",
"loggingChecked": false,
"articles": [],
"firstName": null,
"lastName": null,
"phoneNumber": null,
"fetchingMembership": false,
"membershipError": false,
"memberships": [
{
"id": null,
"startDate": null,
"firstName": null,
"lastName": null,
"familyNumber": null,
"memberNumber": null,
"memberSince": null,
"expirationDate": null,
"pfsEligible": false,
"isSustaining": false,
"membershipLevel": "Prospect",
"membershipStatus": "Non Member",
"lastGiftDate": null,
"renewalDate": null,
"lastDonationAmount": null
}
]
},
"authModal": {
"isOpen": false,
"view": "LANDING_VIEW"
},
"error": null
},
"youthMediaReducer": {},
"checkPleaseReducer": {
"filterData": {
"region": {
"key": "Restaurant Region",
"filters": [
"Any Region"
]
},
"cuisine": {
"key": "Restaurant Cuisine",
"filters": [
"Any Cuisine"
]
}
},
"restaurantDataById": {},
"restaurantIdsSorted": [],
"error": null
},
"userAgentReducer": {
"userAgent": "Mozilla/5.0 AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko; compatible; ClaudeBot/1.0; +claudebot@anthropic.com)",
"isBot": true
}
}
