Two-month long Kaiser therapists strike may end as tentative deal is reached

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA — A 10-week long strike involving thousands of Kaiser Permanente therapists in Northern California appears to be coming to a close after negotiators reached a tentative deal early Tuesday morning.

While details of the deal were not immediately available, the union representing the 2,000 mental health workers and the healthcare giant had been clashing for months over how many hours the employees would be granted outside of client-facing time.

“The new 4-year agreement will benefit Kaiser Permanente patients and drive collaborative efforts aimed at improving access to mental health care, while at the same time recognizing and better supporting mental health therapists in their important work,” wrote the National Union of Healthcare Workers and Kaiser in a joint statement on Tuesday.

Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg helped broker the agreement, according to the union and the healthcare company.

The 2,000 Kaiser mental health workers will vote to ratify the agreement starting Tuesday night.

The strike, which began on Aug. 15, came as Kaiser therapists raised concerns over long wait times for mental health services. After the strike began, the healthcare company was forced to delay some patients’ appointments.

Kaiser serves 4.5 million people in the Northern California region.

This is a developing story. Check back in for updates.