Kaiser Mental Health Workers Plan One-Day Strike in Bay Area, Central Valley

Therapists, social workers and psychologists accuse Kaiser of using AI to replace staff and diminish patient care standards.

Published on Mar. 6, 2026

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More than 100 mental health therapists, social workers and psychologists at Kaiser Permanente in Santa Rosa are scheduled to hold a one-day strike later this month. Their union, the National Union of Healthcare Workers, says Kaiser is looking to outsource jobs and replace therapist positions with artificial intelligence, which the union claims will diminish patient care standards.

Why it matters

This strike highlights the ongoing tensions between Kaiser Permanente and its mental health staff over the use of new technologies like AI. The union argues that AI should be used to support clinicians, not replace them, while Kaiser says its goal is to reach an agreement that "honors our clinicians and allows space for the potential of technology that can support them and help our members."

The details

The 24-hour strike is scheduled to start on Wednesday, March 18 and wrap up by the following morning. Picketing will take place in Santa Rosa, Fresno, Santa Clara, Oakland and Sacramento. Overall, the union represents about 2,400 mental health therapists, social workers and psychologists in the Bay Area, Central Valley and the Sacramento area. The union has also filed an unfair labor practice complaint against Kaiser, alleging the provider unilaterally overhauled its system for triaging patients seeking mental health services by assigning unlicensed and untrained clerical staff to the task.

  • The therapists' contract expired in September 2025.
  • Union members voted 92% in favor of a strike earlier this year.
  • The 24-hour strike is scheduled to start on Wednesday, March 18, 2026 and wrap up by the following morning.

The players

National Union of Healthcare Workers

The union representing the mental health therapists, social workers and psychologists at Kaiser Permanente.

Natalie Rogers

A Kaiser Permanente marriage and family therapist and Santa Rosa City Council member.

Lionel Sims

The senior vice president of human resources for Kaiser Permanente Northern California.

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What they’re saying

“Kaiser wants full autonomy to lay off therapists in order to outsource mental health workers. We are fully against that.”

— Natalie Rogers, Kaiser Permanente marriage and family therapist and Santa Rosa City Council member (pressdemocrat.com)

“We are disappointed that NUHW leadership has chosen to call on their members to walk away from patients for a day while we are still at the bargaining table and actively working toward an agreement.”

— Lionel Sims, Senior vice president of human resources for Kaiser Permanente Northern California (pressdemocrat.com)

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow the strike to proceed as planned.

The takeaway

This strike highlights the ongoing tensions between Kaiser Permanente and its mental health staff over the use of new technologies like AI. The union argues that AI should be used to support clinicians, not replace them, while Kaiser says its goal is to reach an agreement that honors its clinicians and allows for the potential of technology to support them and help patients.