Healthcare workers have gone on strike to demand higher pay and better working conditions. This next wave of strikes demonstrates that neoliberal capitalism will exploit the labor force no matter what sector. Hospitals have ignored the demands of nurses and medical professionals for too long. Across the country they have to deal with long hours, low staffing, and limited pay increases. The strikes that have been occurring in entertainment, the service sector, and railroads show an economy that is not functional. Combined with inflation and the rising cost of living this is putting strain on the American workforce. Organized labor could under go a renaissance. The challenge is not allowing labor unions to act as a barrier between the government and labor force. At times labor unions have been used as a means to hinder aspirations for change and settle for meager reforms. It may take revolutionary action to improve working conditions in the United States. The 75,000 employees that were able to force change in Kaiser Permanente may provide a guide to worker empowerment. The Kaiser Permanente strike was the largest healthcare worker strike in US history. What the obtained was a $25 an hour increase in pay over the next decade. Although it is a victory, it could be short lived if inflation continues and energy related sanctions remain in place. Housing, utilities, and food consume most of the population's income. Healthcare workers have more power than they realize. Without them, COVID-19 would have been more devastating. The pandemic and the recent strikes demonstrates the healthcare system in the US had declined. The fight is not over as healthcare nurses in other states are still on strike.
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