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Mental health clinicians strike persists

Mental health clinicians at Kaiser Permanente Hawaii clinics across the state continue their strike which is in its ninth week. The National Union of Healthcare Workers members picketed outside the Kaiser Permanente Maui Lani Medical Office on Wednesday. The clinic is pictured here in a 2020 photo. The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photo

Tuesday marked the 58th day that mental health clinicians at Hawaii’s Kaiser Permanente clinics were on strike and the picketing -including at the Maui Lani Clinic – looks like it will drag on, even as state and county leaders have advocated for an end. 

According to the National Union of Healthcare Workers, which represents around 60 mental health clinicians for Kaiser across the state, including around a dozen on Maui, a bargaining session scheduled for Tuesday was canceled by Kaiser. The next session is scheduled for the second week of November. The strike began Aug. 29 with picket lines at clinics alternating across the state.

The workers say they are striking as mental health care services are delayed for patients, there are understaffing issues and the union has not had a contract since 2018.

Kaiser has refuted the claims, including understaffing and says there are more employees coming on board and Kaiser is looking to add more.

The Maui County Council last week passed a resolution, which was sent to Kaiser leaders, urging them to negotiate a contract with the union with the same wage increases and benefits as other Kaiser union workers in Hawaii. It also advocated for more staffing to increase accessibility for mental health patients.

Hawaii legislators earlier this month also sent a letter to Kaiser leadership asking for a resolution to the strike as well as better care for its patients.

Three legislators from Maui County signed the letter. They are state Reps. Angus McKelvey and Linda Clark and Sen. Rosalyn “Roz” Baker.

As the strike enters its ninth week, Maui psychologist Rachel Kaya said by phone from the picket line at the Maui Lani Clinic on Wednesday that they have gone without a salary for a long time and “that’s why our strike fund is important.”

She noted there are Internet support sites, including a GoFundMe page for the workers.

“We get a little help (financially),” Kaya said. “I think it’s hard for all of us. It’s an expensive place to live.”

But she added “We’re very devoted to this cause.”

Kaya expressed frustration with Kaiser, saying the company did not replace Tuesday’s bargaining session with another and now they need to wait weeks.

Kaya said she is fighting for more access for patients and wants Kaiser to hire more workers. She said attracting new workers can’t be done without competitive wages and benefits.

She said that currently patients’ medical appointments are still on the books, but they are having their appointments canceled just a few days or less before the scheduled date.

The National Union of Health Care Workers said that a recent strike lasting a little over two months by more than 2,000 Kaiser mental health therapists in Northern California is over and that workers ratified a new contract last week after mediation from Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg.

The union said that in Hawaii, Kaiser is refusing to agree to many things the company agreed to in Northern California. Kaiser agreed to much higher salaries for therapists in Northern California than it’s offering in Hawaii. Kaiser also agreed to keep the pension for new hires in Northern California but is insisting on getting rid of the pension in Hawaii.

In a statement Wednesday, Kaiser said, “We are pleased to have bargaining dates set as this strike does not need to continue. We remain committed to reaching a fair and equitable agreement that is good for our clinicians and our patients. While NUHW claims it is fighting for increased access to care, most of the issues the union has still on the table are about wages and benefits.”

It also added that Kaiser Permanente Hawaii has been on a multi-year journey to increase the number of mental health clinicians and despite a local and national mental health workforce shortage, the company hired 25 clinicians in Hawaii since the start of 2021. 

It has also added 11 mental health clinical positions and additional support staff positions to be filled this year and in subsequent years, nearly doubling the Integrated Behavioral Health staff by the end of 2025.

As for its patients, Kaiser said it continues to reach out to every mental health patient whose appointment has been affected by the strike to reschedule or offer another option. Approximately half of Kaiser’s behavioral health patients receive their care from mental health community providers who are not involved with the strike, a statement said.

For those patients who choose to cancel their own appointments or choose not to reschedule, Kaiser will be conducting clinical quality reviews to ensure they receive the care they need, the company said.

The approximately 60 mental health clinicians represented by NUHW are just one part of Kaiser Permanente Hawaii mental health care team, along with psychiatrists and additional behavioral health care staff.

* Melissa Tanji can be reached at mtanji@mauinews.com.

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