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The California Nurses Assn. announced Saturday that it has called off plans for a strike next week against Kaiser Permanente after reaching a tentative contract agreement for 18,000 of its members in Northern and Central California. The tentative agreement, which will be put to a vote of union members this month, includes a 14% pay increase over three years, the hiring of hundreds of registered nurses, additional workplace protections and increased employer contribution to 410 (k) retirement plans, the union said in a statement. (Ceasar, 1/17)

The California Nurses Association has called off a strike this week against health giant Kaiser Permanente after settling a number of sticking points in contract talks on behalf of 18,000 registered nurses at 86 Kaiser hospitals and clinics in northern and central California, including Sacramento. (Sangree, 1/19)

This past week, more than 2,000 mental health workers for the HMO health care giant Kaiser Permanente in California went on strike. The strike was organized by the National Union of Healthcare Workers. The union says Kaiser Permanente patients have been the victims of "chronic failure to provide its members with timely, quality mental health care." On Thursday, about 150 Kaiser Permanente employees picketed the Woodland Hills Medical Center in the San Fernando Valley. One of them was therapist Deborah Silverman. In her eyes, the biggest problem at Kaiser right now is understaffing. (1/18)