Letters to the Editor: The current Kaiser strike ‘is a matter of patient safety and human dignity’

To the editor: The present Kaiser strike isn’t merely a labor dispute; it’s a matter of affected person security and human dignity (“Tens of thousands of Kaiser Permanente healthcare workers launch open-ended strike,” Jan. 26). Healthcare employees are standing their floor as a result of no nurse or caregiver ought to ever be compelled to decide on which affected person receives care on account of unsafe staffing ranges. That’s neither compassionate nor sustainable.

Whereas company leaders body the dispute as a wage subject, these on the entrance strains know the reality: Affected person care suffers when caregivers are stretched past their limits. A wage enhance means little if situations stay unchanged or guarantees are usually not secured in writing.

Telling nurses to “return to work” within the title of defending sufferers ignores the truth that true affected person safety begins with supporting the individuals who look after them.

Affected person care and employee properly‑being are inseparable. Once we defend healthcare employees, we defend each affected person who is dependent upon them.

Rosalyn Kahn, Los Angeles