Unionized health care workers held a rally at noon today at Kaiser Permanente Mapunapuna to call attention to their frustration at the pace of negotiations for a new contract.

A strike authorization vote is underway, according to Unite Here Local 5, which represents more than 1,900 workers at 25 clinics and medical centers across Hawaii. The votes are expected to be tallied by Monday.

Workers also held rallies in front of Kaiser Wailuku on Maui and at the Kaiser Kona Clinic on Hawaii island to demand a fair contract.

The national contract for more than 60,000 Kaiser Permanente workers across the U.S., including Hawaii, is set to expire on Sept. 30. The strike authorization vote would give union leadership the ability to call a strike after the contracts expire.

“We remain committed to

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