About 500 unionized workers from Kaiser Permanente’s Hawaii health care facilities have scheduled a “limited duration strike” and picketing Jan. 19 at the company’s Honolulu clinic to protest the company’s plan to subcontract pharmacy services to a Mainland company.

UNITE HERE Local 5, which represents about 1,800 Kaiser workers in the state, said yesterday it gave federal officials the required 10-day notice of its intention to undertake the labor action.
The strike is scheduled to begin at 6 a.m., union officials said. Although no ending time was set, the strike could last up to several days, the officials said.
Yesterday’s announcement came one day after the union filed an unfair labor practice charge against Kaiser over the subcontracting issue.