LARGEST OPEN-ENDED HEALTH CARE STRIKE IN U.S. HISTORY ENDS AT KAISER PERMANENTE AS NEGOTIATIONS MOVE CLOSER TO RESOLUTION
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Monday, February 23 2026
CONTACT: press@unacuhcp.org
**Strike photos and videos here, courtesy of UNAC/UHCP**
LARGEST OPEN-ENDED HEALTH CARE STRIKE IN U.S. HISTORY ENDS AT KAISER PERMANENTE AS NEGOTIATIONS MOVE CLOSER TO RESOLUTION
Nurses will return to work Tuesday as bargaining continues, prompted by powerful four-week strike over patient care
LOS ANGELES — After four weeks on strike, nurses and health care professionals represented by the United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals (UNAC/UHCP) will return to work Tuesday across Kaiser Permanente facilities in California and Hawai’i. The work stoppage was the largest open-ended strike of registered nurses and health care professionals in United States history.
Over the past 48 hours, significant movement at the bargaining table prompted union leaders to send the employer a notice of unconditional return to work. 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.
UNAC/UHCP has formally notified Kaiser Permanente that the strike will conclude effective Tuesday, February 24 at 7:00 a.m. PT and 7:00 a.m. HT.
There will be no picket lines on Monday, February 23, as the union and employer finalize return-to-work agreements.
On January 26, 2026, 31,000 members of UNAC/UHCP went on strike after national negotiations with Kaiser stalled. Since March 2025, UNAC/UHCP has been in contract negotiations with the health care giant, as the union representing frontline caregivers seek a contract with provisions to address chronic staffing shortages that impact patient care.
For additional press information, please visit: unacuhcp.org/presscenter
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United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals (UNAC/UHCP) represents more than 40,000 registered nurses and healthcare professionals in California and Hawaii, including optometrists; pharmacists; physical, occupational and speech therapists; case managers; nurse midwives; social workers; clinical lab scientists; physician assistants and nurse practitioners; hospital support and technical staff. UNAC/UHCP is affiliated with the National Union of Hospital and Health Care Employees (NUHHCE) and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), AFL-CIO.
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