Kaiser Permanente pharmacists and technicians at medical facilities in Southern California voted Wednesday, Oct. 15 to authorize a strike, citing unfair labor practices.

No date has been set for a strike, which would affect some 3,000 union members.

The vote came during a five-day strike by 31,000 Kaiser nurses and healthcare workers that began Tuesday, Oct. 14 at facilities in California, Oregon and Hawaii.

The Oakland-based healthcare organization is hiring up to 7,600 nurses, clinicians and other staff to replace union workers during the strike, the majority of whom have worked at Kaiser previously. More than 1,000 of Kaiser’s current workforce also volunteered to be reassigned to work in strike locations.

Also see: Kaiser laying off 216 workers, deepening tensions amid nurse

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