For the tenth straight week, Kaiser Permanente mental health care workers picketed Southern California medical centers Monday, preparing to take a few days off for the Christmas holiday before returning to their vigil Thursday.

Monday. Nearly 2,400 Kaiser mental health therapists, social workers, psychiatric nurses and psychologists — represented by National Union of Healthcare Workers — began their strike on Oct. 21 and held their last negotiating session two days later.

Mental health services are crucial to our well-being. I think that most people will agree with me. As I write, mental health workers employed at Kaiser

Representatives for the Oakland, California-based integrated health system on Jan. 9 will meet with the 2,400 Kaiser therapists, clinicians and other Southern California members of the National Union of Healthcare Workers who have been on strike since Oct. 21, according to a news release issued Monday by the union.

Top California Democrats are pressuring Kaiser to make a deal with the union representing Southern California therapists, while patients say they're just holding on.

The extraordinary thing about this strike is that it really is a strike for patients and for the public’s health, a strike for mental health care parity, a strike in a time of acute mental healthcare crisis in this country.