Kaiser Permanente imaging workers will join pharmacy technicians in a strike protesting "unfair labor practices" beginning in November.
Last week, Kaiser Permanente had reached a breakthrough in negotiations with the 75,000 workers who staged a three-day strike across Oregon, Washington, California, Colorado, Virginia and Washington D.C. However, the tentative deal did not cover a separate group of Oregon and Southeast Washington pharmacy technicians who are undertaking their own strike.
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At the time, imaging workers had not joined them because they were on a separate contract that had not expired. That contract, however, ends Nov. 1 — and thus, they are now able to take action.
United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW) Local 555 informed Kaiser Permanente of the imaging workers' strike Thursday, according to a statement from the union. They will begin striking on Nov. 1 at 6 a.m. and will end Nov. 18 at 3 p.m., according to Miles Eshaia of UFCW Local 555.
Imagining workers include those who work in services such as X-ray, mammography, MRI, CT, sonographers and radiation therapists.
In a statement, Kaiser Permanente noted that it hoped to avoid a strike, describing the notice as "disappointing" and adding that they are interested in "returning to the bargaining table as soon as possible."
This is a developing story and may be updated with more details as they emerge.
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