AI concerns drive Kaiser mental health therapists into one‐day strike

Kaiser Permanente's long‐simmering labor tensions over mental health care resulted in picket lines last week when roughly 2,400 therapists staged a one‐day unfair labor practice strike, joined by thousands of registered nurses and stationary engineers in a show of cross‐union solidarity. The walkout on March 18 centered on concerns that Kaiser's expanding use of artificial intelligence (AI) and other technologies was undermining clinical judgment, eroding patient trust and prioritizing efficiency over care.