Kaiser Permanente nurses and health professionals plan Monday strike as contract talks stall across California and Hawaii

What is scheduled to happen Monday

Thousands of Kaiser Permanente nurses and other health care professionals are expected to begin a strike on Monday, January 26, 2026, at facilities across California and Hawaii, with participation anticipated in San Diego County. The job action is tied to allegations of unfair labor practices and comes amid ongoing contract negotiations between Kaiser Permanente and the union representing the workers.

The strike is expected to start at 7 a.m. Monday and could affect services at multiple Kaiser locations, including hospitals and outpatient clinics. The workers involved include registered nurses and a broad range of licensed clinical staff such as nurse practitioners, nurse anesthetists, midwives, pharmacists, physician assistants, and rehabilitation therapists.

Why workers say they are walking out

Union leaders say the dispute centers on chronic understaffing, patient access to care, and workplace conditions, alongside pay and benefits. The union has argued that staffing levels have not kept pace with demand, creating pressures that it says affect both employees and patient care.

The labor dispute follows a previous large-scale walkout in October 2025 that lasted five days at Kaiser facilities in California, Hawaii, and Oregon. That strike ended without a reported contract settlement, and bargaining later resumed.

Kaiser Permanente’s operations plan and patient impacts

Kaiser Permanente has stated its hospitals and medical offices are expected to remain open during the planned strike. However, the health system has indicated that some non-urgent appointments and elective surgeries may need to be rescheduled. Kaiser has also warned that some pharmacies could close during a strike period, and has urged members not to cancel appointments on their own, noting they will be contacted if changes are necessary.

During the October 2025 strike, Kaiser reported it kept facilities operating by deploying physicians, managers, trained staff and contracted clinicians to maintain services. Similar continuity planning is expected for the planned January action.

Key numbers and scope

• Scale: approximately 31,000 nurses and health care professionals are expected to be involved across California and Hawaii.
• Local footprint: participation is anticipated at Kaiser facilities in San Diego County.
• Potential disruptions: rescheduling of some non-urgent care and elective procedures; possible pharmacy closures.

What happens next

With negotiations unresolved, the strike is positioned as a pressure point in a bargaining process that has already produced at least one major walkout in the past year. The central question for patients and staff in the coming days is whether the parties return to the table with terms that address staffing standards, pay, and working conditions, and whether service disruptions remain limited as Kaiser activates contingency plans.

Patients with appointments scheduled for Monday are generally advised to keep them unless contacted by the health system with rescheduling instructions.