Kaiser Local 5 members to move forward with strike

WHAT: 6-day statewide Kaiser Permanente workers strike

WHERE: Kaiser Permanente Moanalua Medical Center (3288 Moanalua Road Honolulu, HI 96819)
Kaiser Permanente Honolulu Medical Office (1010 Pensacola Street Honolulu, HI 96814)
Kaiser Permanente Waipio Medical Office (94-1480 Moaniani Street Waipahu, HI 96797)
Street parking available only

WHEN: Picketing at Moanalua begins Monday, Feb. 2 at 12:01a until 8:00p. Picketing at Honolulu begins Monday, Feb. 2 at 7:00a until 3:00p. Picketing at Waipio begins Monday, Feb. 2 at 7:00a until 3:00p.

VISUALS: Hundreds of Kaiser Permanente workers wearing red Local 5 shirts marching, chanting, and passing out leaflets

Four one-day work stoppages have been organized since 2013.

Honolulu (February 1, 2015) – Local 5 members who work at Kaiser Permanente are moving forward with their plans to go on strike for six days, starting February 2.

On Oahu, Kaiser workers will be picketing for six days at Kaiser’s facilities in Moanalua, Honolulu, and Waipio. Picket lines will also be organized on Maui at Maui Lani and Wailuku, and on Big Island at Hilo and Kona.

Workers on strike are not discouraging patients from entering the facilities. In fact, they encourage patients to come the facilities for any services they may need, especially in the case of an emergency. Workers will be passing out leaflets to patients and community members to inform them about the decisions Kaiser has made that have negatively affected patient care, including closing Honolulu urgent care and laying off staff. Four one-day work stoppages have been organized since 2013

“When I first started working at Kaiser, we were trained to care for our patients like family. That’s especially important in my department, mother & babies. But with all of the cuts to staff, Kaiser is making it harder and harder to provide that kind of care to our patients,” says Shanelle Simpliciano, a certified nurses aid at Kaiser Permanente Moanalua.

“Kaiser has changed for the worse since I started working here 17 years ago,” says Momi Hai, a lead front desk employee at Kaiser Permanente Maui Lani, “We’ve struggled with our jobs getting subcontracted, or our jobs getting cut completely. It has a real impact on workers and patients. Meanwhile, Kaiser makes $11 million a day. Kaiser is thriving, but what about us?”

Local 5 represents around 1900 Kaiser Permanente workers statewide. The strike will end on Saturday, February 7 at 12:00 midnight.

Local 5 represents approximately 11,000 workers throughout Hawaii who work in the hospitality, health care and food service industries and is an affiliate of UNITE HERE, an international union that represents over 250,000 workers throughout the U.S. and Canada. For more information, visit www.unitehere5.org.

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