What Happened at Our Second Week of National Bargaining?
- Bold Opening Economic Proposal Delivered to KP
- Work of the Subgroups: Partnership Effectiveness, Staffing and Patient Care, and AI & Technology
- Four Tentative Agreements
This week, the Alliance met twice with Kaiser Permanente (June 2nd and June 4th) to present a bold economic proposal. Our message to Kaiser is clear: our members have fallen behind—and it’s time to catch up.
Skyrocketing inflation, a worsening staffing crisis, and historic contract settlements inside and outside of Kaiser Permanente (KP) have raised the stakes of this contract. KP must rise to the moment—this contract is about restoring KP as the best place to work and the best place to receive care.
Our Opening Economic Proposal at a Glance:
- Major Wage Increases: 15%, 8%, 8%, and 7% over four years. We made it clear: a four-year deal only works if the wages are fair. This means our proposal includes a 38% across-the-board pay raise for all Alliance workers over the four-year life of the contract.
- Stronger Health Benefits: No take-aways—plus enhanced coverage across all regions with targeted benefit enhancements that bring us closer together.
- Improved Retirement: Expanded retiree medical options and a higher employer match for defined contribution plans.
- Better Education Support:
- Boosting Ben Hudnall Memorial Trust funding to support greater access to benefits
- Raising tuition reimbursement to $5,250 per year
- Options for student loan repayment
- Organizing Rights in New Regions: As KP grows, the Alliance grows with it! This would give us the opportunity to expand our unions to new terrain if Kaiser continues to grow.
- KP Patients Deserve KP Professionals: Insourcing 9,000 Alliance-represented positions to strengthen care and staffing.
This week, we reached four tentative agreements that improve retiree medical benefits and standardize pension death benefits for qualified dependents. While larger issues remain ahead, this progress reflects our collective power and unwavering commitment to improving the lives of our members and the patients we serve.
Our subgroups in Partnership Effectiveness, Staffing and Patient Care, and AI & Technology met this week to continue bargaining. We identified our interests and alignment and began generating options for further discussion.
We’re fighting for a contract that rights the ship—and respects the people who make KP what it is. Stay tuned and stay engaged. Your activism is vital to win the best possible contract!