The unionized psychologists, therapists, chemical dependency counselors and social employees are hard that Kaiser Permanente supply “desperately needed” services and products to its sufferers, claiming that some wait months for wanted remedy periods.
“Patients are getting ripped off while Kaiser’s coffers are bulging,” union president Sal Rosselli stated in a remark. “We don’t take striking lightly but it’s time to take a stand and make Kaiser spend some of its billions on mental health care.”
The union stated that sufferers who want remedy each week or each two weeks are ready months to begin remedy regimens, after which some other 4 to 8 weeks between appointments.
In a remark, Kaiser Permanente stated the 2 key problems the events are bargaining over are salary will increase and the union’s calls for to extend the time therapists are ready to spend on duties rather than seeing sufferers. Kaiser stated they’ve proposed an building up in time allotted for administrative paintings, however the union is hard extra.
In a unencumber, the putting clinicians stated Kaiser, which reported an $8.1 billion internet benefit ultimate 12 months, “refuses to adequately invest in additional staff; take steps to reduce the burnout of current employees; and do what is necessary to bring its mental health clinics into parity with other health services the HMO provides.”
Kaiser stated the union is “exploiting current challenges as a bargaining tactic.”
“Despite the union’s harmful tactics, we remain committed to bargaining in good faith to reach a fair and equitable agreement that is good for our therapists and our patients,” Deb Catsavas, senior vp of human assets at Kaiser Permanente Northern California, stated in a remark.
The clinicians voted in June to move on strike after a 12 months of failed contract negotiations.
CNN Business’ Chris Isidore contributed to this file.