Thousands of Kaiser Permanente mental health workers in California hit the strike lines Monday, saying their patients aren't getting the care they need.
About 2,000 counselors, psychologists and staff went on strike after negotiations between their union and Kaiser stalled.
Beyond an increase in wages, the union says it's fighting for what it calls "a comprehensive settlement that would increase staffing and consequently reduce patient times."
"My patients get very upset when they can't get their children mental health care needed as soon as possible," intake assessment coordinator Shari Mosley said.
Workers took to the picket lines from San Jose to San Francisco.
"People will not stay just for the money and the benefits," gender therapist Willow Thorsen said. "We need a model of care that serves our patients and that we can feel ethically good about."
Kaiser denied NBC Bay Area's request for an interview, but it did provide a video statement to the media.
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"We are outraged that the union is moving forward with this strike," said Sameer Awsare, MD, FACP.
Kaiser argues it too is challenged by the skyrocketing demand for mental health care, saying it hired nearly 200 new mental health clinicians to keep up and offered additional time for administrative duties.
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"Make no mistake, this strike is not about access to care as the union claims," Awsare said. "The union's proposal to reduce time directly seeing patients comes at a time when we are faced with a 30% increase in demand for mental health care."
Laura Bramble, whose appointment was canceled, now worries she'll have to go out of pocket to see someone else.
"People still need help," she said. "Just because the therapists are out, their managers are still working, and the managers are clinicians, too. Why aren’t they thinking about scheduling, covering appointments?"
Kaiser says patients will still receive care during the strike from the clinicians who choose to keep working.
The strike is open ended, adding to patient uncertainty.
