SAN DIEGO — Pharmacy and laboratory workers with Kindred Hospital hit the picket line on Monday. Some workers were on strike this morning and another group is expected to gather before noon.
They said they are going on strike because executives at Kindred Hospital are still insisting on maintaining low wages. This is an issue workers said resulted in severe staffing shortages.
Kindred Hospital is an acute care hospital that has a total of 70 beds. Healthcare workers treat patients for longer stays after they are discharged from acute-care hospitals.
This strike is happening because back in May, the facility agreed to a contract with at least 100 workers that raised salaries by an average of 26 percent.
However—workers said that Kindred refused to consider wage increases for 20 pharmacy and lab workers who unionized in February.
They say since negotiations, the hospital has insisted on limiting wage increases to as little as 2 percent per year and setting salaries as low as $21 per hour for pharmacy technicians.
This is why they are striking. Until then, they want to negotiate a fair contract that pays them closer to market-rate wages.
Healthcare workers are also arguing that their pay rate is about one-third lower than what competing hospitals offer.
In a recent statement, a spokesperson for Kindred Hospital said, "At Kindred Hospital San Diego, we highly value our employees and the excellent care they provide to our patients. In regards to today, we submitted a formal proposal to union representatives on October 10, 2023, and have yet to receive a formal counter proposal. We remain committed to meeting and negotiating in good faith with the union with the hopes of reaching a fair and equitable resolution," Kindred Hospital spokesperson said.
Workers began picketing early on Monday. There were about two dozen people this morning and they expect a larger turnout in the afternoon.
Kindred Hospital said that today's strike will not affect any patient care.