A union representing tens of thousands of Kaiser Permanente workers in California and Hawaii launched an open-ended strike on Jan. 26, the latest escalation in a monthslong dispute over a set of new labor deals. The strike began at 7 a.m., and will continue until a deal is reached, the United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals said. The union said its top priorities at the bargaining table are safe staffing levels and avoiding cuts to wages and benefits — which,