During this latest round of national bargaining, we won a series of Tentative Agreements (TAs) that mark real progress on the issues we’ve been fighting for. These TAs cover everything from improving staffing transparency and strengthening the Labor Management Partnership, to securing better benefits and ensuring frontline workers have a voice in how new technology is rolled out. They are the direct result of months of hard work at the table and the pressure our members have applied through action, solidarity, and showing up in force.
While these TAs represent important steps forward, they don’t address every issue we need to solve. Kaiser still has to come to the table on key demands—including wage increases—and it will take continued unity and determination to win a contract that truly delivers for healthcare workers and patients. That means keeping the pressure on, staying engaged, and making it clear we will not settle for less than what our members and our communities deserve.
Below are summaries of our most important TAs and following that is a slideshow that includes the actual language.
Economic Subgroup
These TAs secure concrete improvements to retiree and active medical benefits that will reduce out-of-pocket costs and expand access to care for OFNHP members.
- Retiree Medical Premium Subsidy – Rules of Application
Starting Jan 1, 2026, retirees can apply the premium subsidy to any available Kaiser Permanente Senior Advantage plan in their region, regardless of cost. - Retiree Medical – Washington Region
Retirees hired before Jan 1, 2021, retiring on/after Jan 1, 2026, will receive a $43.05/month subsidy (3% annual increase starting 2027). - Active Medical – Allergy Injection Copay
$0 copay for allergy injections in GA, MAS, and NW non-flex HMO plans effective Jan 1, 2027. - Active Medical – Durable Medical Equipment
$0 coinsurance for DME in NW and HI non-flex HMO plans effective Jan 1, 2027. - Active Medical – Hearing Aids
$1,000 allowance per device per ear every 36 months for adults in SCAL and GA non-flex HMO plans effective Jan 1, 2027. - Kaiser increased its wage offer to 6.5% in 2025, 6% in 2026, 4% in 2027, and 3% in 2028, for a total increase of 19.5% over four years. On Friday, the Alliance made a counteroffer of 14.5% in 2025, 6.5% in 2026, 4% in 2027, and 4% in 2028, for a total increase of 29%. No TA reached yet.
Staffing & Patient Care Subgroup
These TAs put new tools and processes in place to increase transparency, strengthen staffing committees, and help address the staffing crisis across Kaiser facilities.
- Flexibility – Keep current National Agreement language.
- Staffing Dashboard – Implement a universal automated dashboard in all markets to track staffing data.
- Staffing Committee Training/Education & Toolkit – Create national toolkit and educational materials to support staffing committees.
- Staffing Committee Sponsorship/Escalation – Create an escalation process for unresolved staffing committee implementation issues.
- Joint Staffing & Backfill Toolkit – Develop tools to support joint staffing and planned replacement processes.
- Hard-to-Fill Positions – Define criteria for identifying hard-to-fill roles; integrate into workforce planning.
Partnership Effectiveness Subgroup
These TAs strengthen the Labor Management Partnership and Unit-Based Teams, adding training, oversight, and accountability measures to make sure the system works for workers.
- Grace Period for Sponsor/Co-Lead Replacement – 90 days to replace vacant roles.
- Assessment Training – Create standardized “How to Conduct Assessments” training by Q3 2026.
- Sponsor Caseload Review – Annual review to ensure sustainable caseloads for support roles.
- Support for UBTs Below Level 3 – Plans for teams to return to Level 3 within 6 months.
- Tracker Proxies – Allow proxies to support UBT documentation.
- UBT/LMP Recognition – Maintain recognition programs, especially for spreading best practices.
- UBT Level Verification – Annually verify a random sample of 5% of Level 4 and 5 teams.
- Sponsor Community of Practice – Invite all sponsors to participate.
- UBT Assessment Language Amendment – Clarify role of support staff in evaluations.
- Modularized Manager Partnership Training – 6-month pilot program for preparing managers for partnership.
- Measuring Training Effectiveness – Create workgroup to design and implement evaluation program.
- Just Culture Program – Multiple recommendations covering ownership, oversight, resources, communication plan, and change control.
- Measuring Partnership Effectiveness Above UBT Level – Create a measurement tool and process to assess partnership beyond the team level.
AI and Technology Subgroup
These TAs establish a formal seat at the table for frontline workers in decisions about AI and emerging technologies, ensuring new tools support both caregivers and patients.
- Alliance–KP Taskforce on Technology and Artificial Intelligence – Form a joint body to evaluate and guide AI/technology use, its impacts on patient care and work, workforce skills, and communication strategy.
- Enhancing Unit-Based Team Structure – Strengthen UBTs to amplify frontline worker voice in technology innovation and application.
Take a look at the Alliance National Bargaining report to get a peak at exactly how this verbiage will appear in the National Agreement if we take it to a ratification vote.