4,000 workers in Kaiser Permanente's mental health and optical divisions staged a 24-hour strike on Tuesday, joined by thousands of nurses and some maintenance workers. The 22,000 person strike is one of the largest in Kaiser's history. The workers were striking over proposed cuts to health and pension benefits, as well as patient care issues. This strike was the fourth walk-out since negotiations began in 2010.
See "Kaiser workers stage 24-hour walkout", Victoria Colliver, San Francisco Chronicle, January 31, 2012