About 31,000 Kaiser Permanente registered nurses and health care professionals in Hawaii and California represented by the United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals ended their five-day strike Saturday, pledging to continue their push for safe staffing and stronger patient care protections.

The strike, which began Tuesday at more than 500 Kaiser hospitals and clinics, drew support from patients, community members and elected officials. Union leaders said the action coincided with new Joint Commission standards that classify safe staffing as a patient safety requirement — a shift they say strengthens their bargaining position.

“The Joint Commission has finally said what nurses have known all along: unsafe staffing is unsafe care,” UNAC/UHCP President Char

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