The Kaiser Permanente strike in California is a significant development in the ongoing class struggle, particularly within the health care sector. On February 9, 2026, over 3,000 pharmacy technicians, members of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 770, joined the strike, expanding what is now the largest health care strike in the region. This action follows a three-day strike by 31,000 nurses, who have been on the picket lines for weeks, demanding better wages, staffing ratios, and working conditions. The strike has also seen participation from lab workers, further amplifying the workers’ collective power.
From a Marxist perspective, the Kaiser Permanente strike exemplifies the proletariat confronting the bourgeoisie’s exploitation. Hospitals, owned by private investors or public entities that ultimately answer to shareholders, have historically cut costs by understaffing and underpaying. The nurses, pharmacy technicians, and lab workers, as the primary labor force, are forced to work longer hours under stressful conditions, yet their wages remain stagnant. The strike forces the capitalists to confront the contradiction between their need for a productive workforce and their desire to maximize profits.
The involvement of pharmacy technicians and lab workers highlights the importance of solidarity across different sectors of the health care industry. These workers, often overlooked in broader labor discussions, are integral to the delivery of care and are equally affected by the profit-driven logic that prioritizes shareholder returns over patient care and worker welfare. Their participation in the strike demonstrates the potential for broader worker unity, a key principle in Trotsky’s theory of permanent revolution.
Trotsky’s theory of permanent revolution posits that the working class must remain the driving force of social change, refusing to settle for incremental reforms that merely preserve the capitalist status quo. The Kaiser Permanente strike exemplifies this principle. Rather than accepting piecemeal adjustments to wages or staffing, the workers are demanding a comprehensive overhaul that would protect collective bargaining, safeguard job security, and ensure that workers retain control over their workplaces. In this sense, the strike is a living dialectic: the contradictions of the capitalist system—profit maximization versus worker welfare—are being confronted head-on, and the resolution will determine whether the system can be restructured or will simply adapt to new forms of exploitation.
The strike also underscores the role of the state in mediating class conflict. In the United States, the government often sides with capital, using legal and political tools to suppress labor actions. The Kaiser Permanente strike has faced legal challenges and media narratives that seek to discredit the workers’ demands. This is a classic example of the state acting as an instrument of the ruling class, protecting its interests at the expense of the working class.
The broader implications of the Kaiser Permanente strike extend beyond the health care sector. It serves as a reminder that the class struggle is not confined to traditional industries like manufacturing or mining but is pervasive across all sectors of the economy. The health care industry, with its immense social importance, is a critical battleground in the fight against capitalist exploitation. The success or failure of this strike will have ripple effects, influencing labor movements in other sectors and potentially setting a precedent for future actions.
In conclusion, the Kaiser Permanente strike in California is a powerful illustration of the class struggle in contemporary capitalism. It demonstrates the resilience and unity of the working class, even in the face of state repression and capitalist resistance. As Trotsky argued, the working class must remain vigilant, united, and ready to confront any attempt to dilute its power. The Kaiser Permanente strike is a testament to this principle and a beacon of hope for workers everywhere.