LOS ANGELES — An estimated 31,000 registered nurses and other front-line Kaiser Permanente health care workers will return to work on Tuesday after a four-week strike in California and Hawaii to demand better wages and staffing.
The United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals said in a statement Monday that ''significant movement at the bargaining table'' prompted an end to the walkout. The statement didn't offer more specifics.
''According to the union, returning members to their patients and their livelihoods is the clearest path to securing a final agreement and building on the progress achieved during the strike,'' the statement said.
Kathleen Campini Chambers, a spokesperson for Kaiser, said the two sides had come to an agreement on wage increases based on an offer the company first made in October.
''We are working with our teams to schedule returning employees over the coming days, in an orderly way that protects patient safety and minimizes any disruption,'' she said in a statement.
The picketing that began Jan. 27 marked the second major strike in recent months by employees represented by the union. A five-day strike in October ended with negotiations resuming, but talks broke down in December.
Those on picket lines, including pharmacists, midwives and rehab therapists, said salaries have not kept pace with inflation and there is not enough staffing to keep up with patient demand.
They asked for a 25% wage increase over four years to make up for wages they say are at least 7% behind their peers.
