Posts tagged National Union of Healthcare Workers
Commentary: 1,000 health care workers protest take-over of their local. Are union officials listening?
October 8, 2026 // In 2009, a political disagreement about organizing and bargaining strategy, involving the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and its second largest healthcare local, led to a costly and disastrous trusteeship in California. Tens of millions of dollars were squandered on this bitter internal fight. Thousands of SEIU members angrily protested the removal of their elected leaders, who faced trumped up charges and a multi-million dollar damage suit. In response to their rights being trampled, rank-and-filers, who only wanted to democratize and reform SEIU, instead created the National Union of Healthcare Workers (NUHW), an organizational rival.
20 healthcare strikes in 2026
September 28, 2026 // Union activity in healthcare continues in 2026, with 20 reported strikes since the beginning of the year. Some of these actions involve healthcare workers and leaders across hospitals and clinics in multiple states.
5 largest healthcare strikes in 2026, involving 76,000 workers
August 7, 2026 // Healthcare strikes in 2026 have drawn in tens of thousands of workers across hospitals, health systems and home care settings, with disputes centering on wages, staffing and contract terms. Becker’s has tracked 17 strikes so far this year.
Nurses and teachers unions bankroll leftist candidates and causes
July 21, 2026 // Additionally, the AFT donated $150,000 to Gov. Tina Kotek’s (D-OR) reelection campaign on the eve of the May primary. Kotek then decided in June to opt Oregon out of the Trump administration’s school choice program, which would subsidize scholarships for K-12 students to cover the cost of private school tuition and homeschooling expenses. AFT has been lobbying Democratic governors to reject the education tax credits offered by the program, calling it a “private school voucher scheme.” Meanwhile, the Oregon Education Association declined to endorse Kotek, despite doing so in the past, out of frustration with the state’s school funding levels.
4 healthcare strikes in 2026
January 29, 2026 // Union activity in healthcare continues in 2026, with at least four reported strikes in the month of January alone. Some of these actions involve healthcare workers and leaders across hospitals and clinics in multiple states.
1,900 Kaiser Permanente hospital workers in Hawaiʻi voting on union strike authorization
September 18, 2025 // Local bargaining started in April, and national bargaining with Kaiser Permanente, the country’s largest not-for-profit healthcare system, began in May. Union leaders point out that some Hawai‘i workers are paid up to 30% less than their counterparts on the mainland and face growing concerns over burnout and patient care. If approved, the vote would give union leadership the authority to call a strike once current contracts expire on Sept. 30. The online vote began at 6 a.m. on Sept. 15, with results expected by the end of the week or early next week. Meanwhile, rallies are scheduled to take place on Friday across the state.
Oakland children’s hospital workers end strike after judge denies injunction
June 30, 2025 // Employees at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital in Oakland will be back at work on Monday after deciding to end their strike. According to the National Union of Healthcare Workers, a federal judge denied their request to stop UCSF Health from proceeding to cancel union contracts.
Workers at Children’s Hospital Oakland Extend Strike Into Second Week
June 25, 2025 // In April, 98% of union members voted against integrating with UCSF, according to NUHW, which represents some 1,300 workers at the hospital. The union, which argues that the takeover plan is in violation of its contracts with the hospital, filed a motion to force arbitration as part of a last-ditch effort to block the move. A court hearing on the motion is scheduled for Thursday, just over a week before the transition is set to take effect, on July 6.
Southern California Kaiser Mental Health Workers Enter Second Week of Strike
October 29, 2024 // The union added that one-fourth of the 1,508 mental health professionals hired by Kaiser’s Southern California region between January 2021 and September 2024 have already left their positions.
Kaiser mental health workers prepare to strike, this time in Southern California
October 16, 2024 // The previous Kaiser mental health strike, which involved Northern California mental health workers, took place in 2022 and lasted almost 10 weeks. Those workers ultimately won certain concessions, such as higher wages and more hours each week to handle patient care duties such as charting and responding to emails. Southern California mental health workers say they are now asking Kaiser to match what their colleagues in the north of the state receive.