"Kaiser Permanente union coalition on alert for second strike"

A coalition of unions representing over 75,000 Kaiser Permanente employees has threatened to go on a second strike if sufficient progress is not made in contract negotiations by the end of October. The previous strike, which lasted from Wednesday through Friday, impacted several states and involved picket lines at Kaiser hospitals. The unions are calling for increased staffing levels, protections against outsourcing, and a 24.5% raise over four years. Kaiser has stated its commitment to reaching an agreement and has been able to hire over 50,000 frontline workers in the past two years. Talks between the two sides are set to resume on Thursday.