Kaiser Permanente says workers have begun a five-day labor strike

(Reuters) -Healthcare conglomerate Kaiser Permanente said on Tuesday that it is facing a labor strike called by the Alliance of Health Care Unions over wages, but has plans in place to continue operations without interruption. The strike that began earlier in the day is scheduled to end at 7 a.m. on October 19, Kaiser Permanente said. The 31,000 members of United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals are among the 46,000 members of the Alliance of Health Care Unions, which will strike Kaiser mainly on the West Coast in California, Hawaii, and Oregon, the union said in a statement on Monday. Kaiser Permanente said it has been negotiation in good faith with the unions on a new national agreement since May. The company said it offered to increase wages by 21.5% over a four- year period. The UNAC/UHCP said "… but, what (Kaiser) doesn't mention is years of wage freezes during record inflation, cuts for new union members, and the real daily impact these conditions have on patient care." The company said its hospitals, emergency departments, urgent care departments and medical office buildings are open, while some pharmacies are closed. (Reporting by Sneha S K in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh Kuber)

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