To the editor: The current Kaiser strike is not simply a labor dispute; it is a matter of patient safety and human dignity (“Tens of thousands of Kaiser Permanente healthcare workers launch open-ended strike,” Jan. 26). Healthcare workers are standing their ground because no nurse or caregiver should ever be forced to choose which patient receives care due to unsafe staffing levels. That is neither compassionate nor sustainable.
While corporate leaders frame the dispute as a wage issue, those on the front lines know the truth: Patient care suffers when caregivers are stretched beyond their limits. A wage increase means little if conditions remain unchanged or promises are not secured in writing.
Telling nurses to “go back to work” in the name of protecting patients ignores the reality that true patient protection begins with supporting the people who care for them.
Patient care and worker well‑being are inseparable. When we protect healthcare workers, we protect every patient who depends on them.
Rosalyn Kahn, Los Angeles