More than 30,000 union nurses and hospital staff with Kaiser Permanente medical facilities in Southern California voted overwhelmingly Friday, Sept. 19 to authorize a strike.

No date has been set for a strike.

Kaiser and the United Nurses Associations of California / Union of Health Care Professionals, which represents registered nurses and healthcare professionals in California and Hawaii, are negotiating to replace a five-year contract set to expire Sept. 30.

The union is seeking higher wages, better benefits and hiring more employees to fill staffing shortages, Charmaine Morales, president of UNAC/UHCP, said in a statement.

“When we stand together, Kaiser will have no choice but to recognize the need to value our labor and ensure safe staffing and care,” Morales said.

The strike vo

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