Hundreds of pharmacy technicians, pharmacy clerks and pharmacy warehouse employees at Kaiser Permanente began picketing Oct. 1 in a strike planned to last through Oct. 21.
Pharmacy and imaging workers plan to strike outside of four facilities across Oregon and Southwest Washington from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily, according to a news release from the union UFCW Local 555. The strike is expected to end at 3 p.m. Oct. 21.
In September, 99.6 percent of the union voted to strike, alleging that Kaiser is engaging in unfair labor practices. Monthslong negotiations have centered around staffing levels and wages for first-year employees and those working nights and weekends.
The employees plan to picket outside Kaiser Sunnyside Medical Center Campus in Clackamas, Ore., Kaiser Westside Medical Center Campus in Hillsboro, Ore., Kaiser Regional Lab in Portland and Kaiser Airport Way Center in Portland. A Kaiser spokesperson previously told Becker's the union includes 380 of its pharmacy workers.
The spokesperson added that Kaiser's inpatient hospital pharmacies will be able to continue operating.
This strike is independent of a looming strike of 75,000 Kaiser employees across California, Colorado, Oregon, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Maryland, Virginia and Washington.