Kaiser pharmacy, lab workers end three-day strike as 31,000 nurses remain on picket lines

LOS ANGELES - Thousands of healthcare workers in Southern California are beginning a transition back to work Thursday, while tens of thousands of their colleagues continue a massive work stoppage with no end in sight. 

The split comes as Kaiser Permanente faces its third week of labor unrest across the region.

What we know:

More than 3,000 pharmacy assistants, technicians, and clinical lab scientists represented by the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) returned to their shifts on Thursday.

The group walked off the job Monday morning to protest what they describe as "Kaiser's labor violations throughout negotiations."

The strike affected Kaiser facilities across Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, San Bernardino, Riverside, Ventura, and Kern counties. 

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Union officials claim Kaiser attempted to "bypass the agreed-upon national bargaining process" and interfere with negotiations that have been ongoing since April 2025.

While the UFCW strike was designed as a three-day targeted action, approximately 31,000 members of the United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals (UNAC/UHCP) are continuing their open-ended strike. 

This larger group includes registered nurses, pharmacists, and midwives who have been on the picket lines since January 26.

What they're saying:

The UFCW characterized the walkout as a demonstration of "strength and solidarity." 

In a statement, the union noted, "Our strength and solidarity this week proved we are prepared to escalate again if Kaiser refuses to respect workers."

Angelica Muro, a pharmacy technician in West Los Angeles, expressed the frustration felt on the line: "We are fed up with being overworked, disrespected, undervalued, and with Kaiser’s illegal attempts to intimidate us out of getting a fair contract."

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Kaiser Permanente has rejected the unions' characterizations of the negotiations. 

Management stated the strike is "unnecessary, disruptive for our members and patients, and counterproductive to reaching a contract agreement." 

Kaiser has also pointed to its wage increase offers, totaling approximately 30% on average over the length of the contract, as evidence of a fair proposal.

Timeline:

April 2025: Negotiations between Kaiser and the Alliance of Healthcare Unions begin.

September 30, 2025: Contract for UNAC/UHCP healthcare professionals expires.

November 1, 2025: Contract for Southern California UFCW pharmacy employees expires.

December 2025: Unions file Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) charges with the NLRB.

January 26, 2026: 31,000 UNAC/UHCP members begin an open-ended strike.

February 9, 2026: 3,000+ UFCW pharmacy and lab workers launch a three-day targeted strike.

February 12, 2026: UFCW workers returned to work.

What's next:

The return of pharmacy and lab staff may alleviate some of the service delays reported earlier this week, though Kaiser warns that reduced capacity and closures may persist due to the ongoing nurses' strike. 

There are currently no new national bargaining dates scheduled. 

UFCW leadership has indicated that while they are returning to work, they remain "prepared to escalate again" if negotiations do not move forward at the national level.