HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - More than 2,000 Kaiser Permanente workers in Hawaii voted to authorize a strike Monday morning.

Hospitality and healthcare union UNITE HERE Local 5 said 97% of its members voted in favor of authorizing the strike.

Hawaii Nurses and Healthcare Professionals said 89% of members gave union leadership the ability to call a strike if necessary.

Union leaders said the workers’ contracts are set to expire on Tuesday, Sept. 30, while some will expire on Wednesday, Oct. 1.

According to union leaders, workers are calling for safe staffing to prioritize workers’ well-being, along with an increase in wages.

“I am ready to strike if we need to because we need Kaiser to take our concerns about short staffing seriously and make a real commitment to addressing them,” said D

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