SAN DIEGO (KGTV) -- Dialysis caregivers from some San Diego clinics have entered the fifth day of a statewide protest.
On Friday, SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West (SEIU-UHW) union members were set to unite for a rally outside of Fresenius Kidney Care facilities in San Diego to strike in their final days together.
Only a portion of the dialysis clinics in San Diego are unionized, and some workers told ABC 10News they're still waiting on their first contract.
Union workers said they've been in negotiations for about a year, and still, more clinics are wanting to unionize.
They told ABC 10News that specific clinics are allegedly fighting back.
Elizabeth Reyes, a patient care technician at Fresenius Fletcher Parkway, said, "The main thing that we want is for dialysis executives to respect our rights, stop union busting, and stop the unfair labor practices."
A Fresenius Medical Care spokesperson sent ABC 10News a statement saying, in part: "The National Labor Relations Board has never found Fresenius Medical Care in violation of any labor laws, and we will continue to negotiate in good faith to reach agreements that are fair to our employees and enable us to continue our mission of providing high-quality, life-saving care to patients."
Katherine Kan-Sy, a charge nurse at Fresenius Kidney Care, said she hopes changes come soon because the patients have been caught in the middle, not getting the timely care and attention they deserve.
"I have never not been there for my patients," Kan-Sy said. "I have always been here for my patients, so it's hard to be out here and not taking care of them, but we have to do this."
The dialysis caregivers strike ends Saturday, but the healthcare industry in San Diego is not done with strikes yet.
Kaiser Permanente mental health workers announced Friday that they will launch an open-ended strike on Monday in which thousands of mental health care workers, including over 300 workers in San Diego, will walk off the job.
The National Union of Healthcare Workers said it is demanding that "the nation’s largest non-profit HMO fix its broken mental health system, even stating that the state of California fined it $50 million last year."
The union said it is striking for equity in mental health care, better patient care time, fair pay, and restoration of pensions.
