31,000 Kaiser Nurses Were on Strike. Here's What They Told Me.

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Over 31,000 Kaiser Permanente nurses and healthcare workers were on strike since January 26, 2026. The strike ended Tuesday, February 24th at 7a.m.

I've been on the picket lines since this fight started in October 2025, filming at Kaiser hospitals across Southern California. The workers I spoke with weren't just fighting for wages—they were fighting for safe staffing levels, patient care standards, and a healthcare system that's failing both workers and patients.

Now that the strike is over Kaiser nurses are posting on socials how they feel about going back to work without a contract in place. Most have taken a significant financial hit with no pay for four weeks. Some dipped into savings, others have planned to request deferment of their monthly obligations.

Others report not being happy with their union and some even saying they should have had California Nurses Association Union to represent them. So there's been a lot of mixed reviews with going back to work. Some are relieved to have a paycheck coming in a couple weeks, while other devoted nurses and healthcare professionals are scratching their heads wondering what's really going on. They are confused as to why they would be going back to work without a contract in place.

Every union seems to have their own strategies. One Union might call for a 24 hour strike, while other unions may call for an open-ended strike. The Henry Ford Genesys Hospital in Grand Blanc Township, Michigan, began on September 1, 2025. At the time of writing this they have passed the 170-day mark since they walked off the job.

These are their voices, unfiltered, from the frontlines of a strike. The final outcome of the Kaiser Strike has yet to be resolved and we will continue to cover this story as it continues to unfold.