(KERO) — The union that represents nurses and other healthcare professionals has taken another step closer to authorizing a strike on Tuesday as negotiations continue with Kaiser Permanente.
More than 95 percent of the 18,000 member union voted to authorize a strike.
The union would still need to give Kaiser a 10-day notice before employees walked off the job. The two groups have been negotiating wages since April.
"We ask that employees reject a call to walk away from the patients who need them. Our priority is to continue to provide our members with high-quality safe care. in the event of any kind of work stoppage, our facilities will be staffed by our physicians along with trained and experienced managers and contingency staff."
Kaiser Permanente
The union is asking for a 4% increase, while Kaiser is only offering a 1% raise with a 1% bonus.
Starting in 2023 new hires would get less money than current nurses.
