Around a hundred security personnel employed by Inter-Con Security Systems Inc. went on strike April 4 in the Northern California Kaiser Permanente locations of Hayward, Fremont and South Sacramento. Kaiser Permanente contracts with Inter-Con for security coverage of its facilities. Rallies were also held for the Inter-Con employees in Northern and Southern California, supporting the strike efforts.

The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) stated that California Inter-Con security workers have also just filed at least seven complaints with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), the federal agency governing relations between unions and employers in the private sector. The issue underlying both the strike and the complaints filed with the NLRB concern Inter-Con actions that have "crossed the line," according to union representative Elizabeth Buchanan. Inter-Con is accused of interference with attempts by security workers to unionize.

Buchanan says security workers have been attempting to unionize for two and a half years. The workers seek better wages and benefits through unionization. Since initiating union efforts, the workers have allegedly been subject to escalating harassment from Inter-Con, including supervisors questioning their activities, interrogating employees on the job or at home about possible strikes or demanding names of other employees planning to unionize or strike, urging employees against unionization, and most grievously, surveillance and photographing of employees who are distributing union information. SEIU says that Inter-Con did not address or respond to the complaints about the interference with workers.
Inter-Con is a privately-held security company based in Pasadena, California. Inter-Con's website states that it has government and commercial clients domestic and international. The website does not comment on the current situation with security workers of Kaiser Permanente, but does state it is "proud" of its long association with organized labor.

SEIU is based in Washington D.C., and represents health, public and property services personnel, with 1.9 million members. The local unions involved include SEIU Local 24/7 in Northern California.

Thus far, Kaiser Permanente has issued statements saying it will remain neutral in the conflict between the striking workers, SEUI and Inter-Con.

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