Approximately 31,000 nurses and healthcare professionals walked out of hospitals and clinics throughout California and Hawaii on Jan. 26 to strike against Kaiser Permanente. Workers are demanding fair compensation, increased staffing levels and timely care for patients.
As members of the United Nurses Association of California and Union Health Care Professionals, the union began bargaining with Kaiser in May 2025 and filed an unfair labor practice charge in late December.
The strike has consequently closed multiple pharmacies and labs throughout California and Hawaii, according to Kaiser’s website. The closest Kaiser hospitals to San Luis Obispo are located in San Jose, Fresno and Los Angeles. Several Kaiser affiliated physicians reside in San Luis Obispo and Atascadero.
Will Cal Poly’s health center be affected?
Cal Poly students will still be able to receive health services at the Health Center during the Kaiser strike, even if they have Kaiser insurance.
Cal Poly’s health center does not require students to show proof of insurance. The university provides general medical care to all students who pay the mandatory health services fee — an estimated $267.51 fee per quarter, according to the Cal Poly Health Services website.
Students struggle with insurance amid strike
Cal Poly students have faced issues and delays when attempting to schedule appointments and receive prescriptions through their hometown physicians.
“My mom was getting upset with me when I was trying to help her book an appointment with a different facility,” said Alycia Wear, a business administration junior from Huntington Beach. “Our normal one was not scheduling appointments, and we didn’t really know what to do. It was frustrating.”
The union alleges that Kaiser walked away from the bargaining table and intimidated workers by enlisting employees to report on fellow colleagues who were participating in strike activities. Before the strike began, Kaiser proposed a 21.5% wage increase, less than the union’s desired 25% increase over four years, according to the union’s press release.
Nurses in Southern California earn at least 7% less than peers in other regional hospitals, so the union is pushing for fair pay and more staff to mitigate long wait times for patients, according to the press release.
Various Kaiser hospitals and medical offices remain open despite the strike and intend to continue caring for patients without interruption, according to their website.
Despite claims of being open, several clinics and pharmacies have encountered delays in fulfilling prescriptions and multiple students have received calls to reschedule appointments.
“A few weeks ago, I was in the process of getting prescriptions. I had an intake appointment with a PA, but got a call back from a different person saying he was on strike,” said Avery Langdale, a communication studies sophomore from Orange County. “I was able to get my prescription filled, but it was delayed. It’s been a super long process because of the strike.”