The unions and Kaiser Permanente are close on a four-year total – 21.5% offered by Kaiser compared to 25% sought over four years by the unions. But the unions want nearly half of those increases – 12% – to occur in the first year.

Throughout California, as COVID-19 infections deplete their staff of nurses, anesthesiologists and other essential workers, hospitals are canceling or postponing so-called 'elective' surgeries to repair injured knees and aching back, remove kidney or bladder stones, and repair cataracts or hernias, among other procedures.