Dennis oda / doda@staradvertiser.com
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Kaiser Permanente Hawaii is making contingency plans for a six-day strike by its nearly 1,900 union workers, or about 43 percent of its workforce.
The state’s largest health maintenance organization said Monday that it hasn’t determined whether to close its clinics or halt services during the strike.
Unite Here Local 5, the union representing 1,874 Kaiser workers, is planning to strike from Monday to Feb. 7 after working without a new contract for more than two years. Kaiser has 4,314 total employees.
Local 5 said Kaiser’s last offer included proposed wage increases of 4 percent over three years.
The union represents housekeepers, maintenance and food service workers, medical assistants, licensed practical nurses, receptionists and medical technicians. The workers’ previous contract expired in August 2012.
The HMO said it is prepared to limit disruptions and continue providing high-quality care and services.
The California Nurses Association said Monday that Kaiser nurses in California approved a new three-year contract with increased pay as well as health and safety protections.
The deal includes a 14 percent pay raise for about 18,000 Kaiser nurses in the state who went on a two-day strike in November.
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.
