Friend,

Competent mental health providers are more important than ever, but Kaiser
Permanente, Southern California’s largest health care provider, has
mistreated its therapists and psychologists for years.

The company doesn't hire enough workers, with one therapist for every
3,000 patients and one psychologist for every 54,000.(1) Therapists are
forced to beg for more time with their patients, and they even have to
fight for bathroom breaks.(2)

That’s why hundreds of Kaiser Therapists have been striking for months.
But it’s been a grueling time, with too many striking workers running low
on funds and many losing their homes in the wake of the devastating
wildfires.

Courage is fighting alongside the Kaiser therapists’ union for better pay
and better working conditions. But right now, what the striking workers
need most is direct support.

[ [link removed] ]Will you donate help the striking therapists from Kaiser, many of whom
are suffering in the wake of the wildfires? 100% of your contribution will
go to directly to the National Union of Healthcare Workers at Kaiser.

[ [link removed] ]DONATE NOW

Even before devastating wildfires ravaged Los Angeles, Southern California
was staring down a mental health care crisis -- with patients of Kaiser
Permanente, the region’s largest health care provider, forced to wait
months for care.

Now, with the fires’ destruction causing depression and anxiety to
skyrocket, the situation is even worse.

The National Union of Healthcare Workers at Kaiser have been fighting on
the frontlines of California’s mental health care crisis for years, and
they’ve had success!

They won a 2021 law that requires medically necessary therapy sessions
within 10 business days. They led multiple strikes in 2022 demanding
better access to care.(3)

And in 2023, whistle blowing by the union led the state of California to
levy a $50 million fine on Kaiser, the largest ever for a health plan.(4)

But though Kaiser has been ordered by state authorities to fix its mental
health care system, it maintains a separate and inferior mental healthcare
system in Southern California.

It employs fewer therapists than in Northern California and provides them
only half as much time for patient care duties. It continues to single out
therapists for lower pay and poorer benefits.

The Kaiser therapists union is on strike to improve their lot, and Courage
California is with them all the way. But what striking workers need most
now is direct support.

[ [link removed] ]Will you make a donation to striking health care workers to help them
in this critical time? 100 percent of your contribution will go to the
National Union of Healthcare Workers at Kaiser.

Thank you for being with us.

–Irene, along with Annie, Angela, Isidra, Cecilia, Jen, and Lindsay (the
Courage team)

[ [link removed] ]SUPPORT STRIKING WORKERS

Footnotes:
1.
[link removed]
2.
[link removed]
3. [link removed]
4.
[link removed]



*****************************************************************


Courage California (formerly Courage Campaign) makes sure our democracy works for ALL of us by fighting corruption in California politics. We believe the solution lies in exposing and solving systemic problems through strategic organizing, enhancing coordination between progressive organizations, and mobilizing civic engagement from our communities, particularly voters of color, young voters, and self-identified progressives.

[link removed]

?t=1003


You can unsubscribe from this mailing list at any time:
[link removed]