Kaiser Permanente faces strike votes in California, Oregon

LOS ANGELES (AP) — More than 24,000 nurses and other health care workers at Kaiser Permanente in California and Oregon have overwhelmingly authorized a strike over pay and working conditions strained by the coronavirus pandemic. Similar strike votes could come in a half-dozen other states against Kaiser, one of the nation’s largest health care providers. The unions object to Kaiser’s proposal to give newer employees lower pay and fewer health protections. They also want 4% raises for each of the next three years and a commitment to hire more nurses to relieve staffing shortages. Kaiser is offering 1% a year and says it must reduce labor costs to remain competitive.