Kaiser Permanente Workers Reject Contract

More than 13,700 Kaiser Permanente workers rejected a final contract offer Saturday and authorized a strike if labor negotiations fail to reach an agreement.

Members of the Health Care Workers Union Local 250 voted by 96% to reject the offer during 10 days of secret balloting that were tallied Saturday.

Kaiser spokeswoman Kathy Blackburn said the next step will be for a mediator who has been involved in the talks to decide whether to call the two sides back.