Chanting “stand up, fight back” and “corporate greed has to go,” hundreds of protesters marched along Sunset Boulevard on May 21 in front of Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Hollywood.

Demonstrators rallied outside Kaiser Permanente Medical Center on Sunset Boulevard Tuesday during a protest organized by SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West. (photo by Edwin Folven)

Organized by SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West, a union representing more than 55,000 Kaiser Permanente employees in California, the demonstration was part of a series of protests planned in May at Kaiser Permanente facilities throughout the state. Union members said Kaiser has “drifted” from its mission of providing quality health care, is outsourcing too many jobs and putting profits ahead of patients’ well-being.

The union is in contract negotiations with the hospital, with contracts set to expire on Sept. 30. It primarily represents employees serving in support capacities; physicians and nurses are represented by different unions. A similar demonstration is planned today outside Kaiser Permanente Medical Center on Cadillac Avenue in West Los Angeles.

“We are in contract negotiations, but honestly, we are out here to say Kaiser has lost their way,” SEIU-UHW spokesman Mike Chavez said. “A lot of people [protesting] have worked here a long time and they like working here, but things have changed. It’s for investing in the staffing we need so patients get better treatment, it’s about investing because patient wait times are getting considerably longer, it’s about focusing on technology to improve health care for patients.”

Shavonda Waller, a medical secretary in the mental health department at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Hollywood for 19 years, said she has seen cutbacks that affect patient care. She cited staffing reductions in her department, longer hours and outsourcing of a call center as reasons for joining the protest. Weller said she processes patient co-payments, and with less staffing, the task takes longer for each individual.

“We want better staffing and better treatment of employees,” Weller said. “We are saying enough is enough. We just want Kaiser to treat us fairly.”

Kaiser Permanente disputed the union’s claims that it puts profits ahead of patients.

“It’s important for our members and patients to know that informational picketing is not a strike and it does not impact our care delivery or operations. While this union is staging picketing, the physicians and employees of Kaiser Permanente will remain focused on the important work of delivering high-quality, affordable care to our members and improving the health of the communities we serve,” John Nelson, Kaiser Permanente’s vice president of communications, said in a statement. “Kaiser Permanente started bargaining with the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions in mid-April. We believe that by working together in partnership with the unions that represent our employees, we will continue to achieve the best results for our members, patients and the communities who depend on Kaiser Permanente to provide high-quality, affordable health care, and help to keep Kaiser Permanente a great place to work for all.”

Nelson also said negotiations with SEIU-UHW will continue.

“We reiterate our pledge to bargain in good faith and our commitment to reach fair and equitable agreements that provide our employees with excellent, market-competitive benefits and wages,” Nelson said. “We are disappointed that some union leaders are choosing to make false allegations and pursue an adversarial, destructive approach as part of their bargaining strategy.”

Chavez said he is hopeful a contract agreement will be reached between the union and hospital, but added that the protests will continue.

“We are at the early stages,” he said. “Kaiser has to make sure it is emphasizing patient care.”