Southern California UFCW Kaiser Permanente Pharmacy Employees Overwhelmingly Authorize Unfair Labor Practice Strike
Press Release| October 15, 2025
The Unfair Labor Practice Strike Authorization Comes After Months of Unlawful Conduct by Kaiser During Contract Negotiations
LOS ANGELES – Today, United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) local unions representing Kaiser pharmacy employees announced an overwhelming membership vote in favor of authorizing their bargaining team to call for an Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) strike to protest Kaiser’s labor violations throughout negotiations that have prevented frontline pharmacy healthcare workers from getting the fair contract they deserve.
The UFCW Locals 324 and 770 Bargaining Committee said the following:
“This vote sends a strong message to Kaiser: We’ve had enough of their union-busting tactics that undermine workers and silence our voices. And if they thought Kaiser members could be scared away from standing up for our rights, they just found out that they are very wrong.”
“An Unfair Labor Practice strike is always a last resort, and we will continue to push Kaiser to do the right thing and come back to the table to bargain in good faith. We are hopeful that Kaiser will get its act together after witnessing the 46,000 Alliance workers who declared a strike this week and seeing that UFCW is ready to join a potential second wave of a strike. With this strike authorization vote, we’re now prepared to join forces with our Alliance siblings if Kaiser continues to commit unfair labor practices that undermine our rights.”
Kaiser Permanente pharmacy workers are fighting for a fair contract that ensures safe staffing and sustainable workloads to safeguard the highest standards of patient care. They are demanding industry-leading compensation and wage equity that recognizes their expertise, while also upholding dignity and equity for all workers, because quality patient care depends on a supported workforce.
BACKGROUND
On October 3, union locals with the Alliance of Health Care Unions, including HNHP, UNAC/UHCP, UNITE HERE Local 5, OFNHP Local 5017, and USW 7600 issued a 10-day strike notice to Kaiser Permanente.
With no agreement reached by the October 13 deadline, the unions began a five-day strike on October 14. This collective action demonstrates the workers' resolve and sends a powerful message to Kaiser about the necessity of bargaining in good faith and respecting frontline healthcare staff.
ONE VOICE, ONE FIGHT, ONE FUTURE
The Alliance of Healthcare Unions (“AHCU” or “the Alliance”) is a coalition of 23 labor organizations – including Southern California UFCW locals. The Alliance represents 62,000 healthcare employees and comes together as a federation of international, national, local, and independent unions to coordinate and assist each other in collective bargaining with Kaiser Permanente and its related entities.
UFCW locals are responsible for negotiating local contracts for Kaiser Pharmacy, Clinical Lab Scientists, and Kern Main/Administrative employees, while the Alliance handles national bargaining. Currently, these local contracts have varying expiration dates (the pharmacy contract expires Nov. 1, 2025). UFCW locals have proposed that Kaiser align all local contracts to expire at the end of October, concurrent with the major national agreement negotiated by the Alliance of Health Care Unions.
UFCW 770 and UFCW 324 represent over 3,000 Kaiser Permanente frontline healthcare employees who work as pharmacy assistants, pharmacy technicians, clinical lab scientists, medical lab technicians, and clinical and administrative healthcare workers at numerous Kaiser locations throughout Orange County, Los Angeles, Ventura, Kern, San Bernardino and Riverside counties.
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