April 14th
Today was our fifth day at the bargaining table for our Pro Bargaining Team, and the work keeps moving!
We started the day by learning more about management’s interests, and are excited that we continue to find overlap and opportunities to change and improve our contract language. Today we exchanged multiple proposals with management and made real progress on multiple fronts.
In an ongoing effort to ensure that Pros are fairly compensated for the amount of work they do, we provided a proposal that would help ensure appropriate pay or flex opportunities when Pros go above and beyond our normally scheduled shift – like when you come in early to set up your work stations, see ill patients over your skipped lunch break, or consult with a medical provider on a patient’s care plan after the end of your shift. We’ve heard the stories of how frustrating it can be when the definition of “patient care” is too restrictive when determining additional pay, and we’re hoping to encompass a more realistic portrayal of the current state of care.
Also, we passed a proposal that would transform professional growth opportunities for the Pros after hearing this topic as a joint interest with management. This could incentivize many activities such as obtaining advanced certifications, providing clinical education to your fellow coworkers or students, and volunteering in the community. The intention is to encourage longevity and engagement, which would help Kaiser reclaim its status as the Best Place to Work.
Today we got not one, but TWO Tentative Agreements (TAs)!
- We were able to modernize our Sabbatical language to clarify the decision-makers, streamline the application process, and increase the number of individuals able to take Sabbatical at one time from eight to ten in the region!!
- We were able to finalize our Salary Progression language that begins to remedy the endless errors from HRConnect by ensuring Pros are placed, and moved, through the wage steps correctly. We believe winning this new language will drastically reduce the number of grievances and disputes that have historically caused our members wage inequity.
After many busy weeks, we now have over a month before we go back to the table again in May. In the meantime, continue to support your colleagues in other bargaining units as we all fight for the contracts we deserve. For now, don’t forget to RED UP ON TUESDAYS to show your solidarity, and let management know that you’re standing with your bargaining team!
April 9th
Your Pro Bargaining Team was back at the table with management today for the fourth time, and came excited and prepared to get things done after a few weeks since the last meeting.
Although we were hopeful to be given proposals to kick things off, management did require additional caucus time to start this morning to review and prepare counter-proposals to the four items we brought forward in March. During this time, your Pro Bargaining Team decided to use this caucus time to work on even more new proposals to put forth during the rest of April and May bargaining dates – because we know this time and effort is important to all of you!
Despite this initial wait, we were able to solidify our first Tentative Agreement (TA)! This will amend language to remove the Salary Review Committee, which has been a frustrating and unsuccessful practice for members who believe their salary and step placement does not accurately reflect their qualifications and experience. As of this new agreement, members who would like to escalate their disputes can do so by using the Grievance pathway with much more enforceable language.
After further discussion regarding the list of potential interests from both sides of the table, we moved into reviewing the last proposals Labor passed in March. Conversation continued on all four of the proposals provided.
Labor submitted two additional proposals:
- Expanding and clarifying Bilingual Differential eligibility, to most appropriately support our diverse patient population; and
- Protecting Administrative Time for required trainings, in an effort to begin mitigating our current state of taking necessary Healthstream and KPLearn modules during our lunches, breaks, or personal time.
At the end of the day, management provided a counter-proposal to our initial Sabbatical language passed back in March. The Pro Bargaining Team sees additional opportunities and edits to this language before we believe it best represents language that protects the Pro’s ability to expand professionally.
For now, don’t forget to RED UP ON TUESDAYS to show your solidarity, and let management know that you’re standing with your bargaining team! If you haven’t already, make sure to sign the bargaining platform petition
if you have not already.
March 20th
For the third day in a row, your Pro bargaining team was back at the table again!
Today we heard management’s first group of interests, with many echoing the concerns and needs we stated yesterday:
- Contract Clean-up
- Staffing and Retention
- Education Fund and Sabbatical
- Flexibility
We expect to hear more interests from management at our upcoming bargaining sessions. We had two full productive days of conversation, and we are cautiously optimistic that we are on the path to get great improvements in our contract.
In the afternoon, we got to work passing management our first set of proposals. We focused on a few areas of easy alignment, as well as a few areas of the contract that have been a significant issue for years:
- We proposed eliminating antiquated language that has caused confusion and delays in resolving issues between Labor and Management
- After successful pilots in multiple departments, we proposed expanding the ability to convert in-person to virtual days. Our proposal included six days in a rolling six-month period for Professionals who are able to complete all of their work virtually and when operationally feasible.
- After years of HRConnect errors, we proposed amending our Salary Progression language in Article 4, to ensure members are paid appropriately and that they move up the wage steps when they should.
Our next bargaining dates are 4/9 and 4/11, and we hope to see proposals from management soon. In the meantime, this team will continue to develop language we believe will benefit the Professional bargaining unit, and address the concerns you all have relayed!
For now, don’t forget to RED UP ON TUESDAYS
to show your solidarity, and let management know that you’re standing with your bargaining team!
March 19th
Your Pro Bargaining team has been preparing diligently over the last 6 months – volunteering their evenings and weekends to train, talk, practice, and assemble a bargaining platform that will fight for a contract that betters the conditions of all 1,100+ members in the unit.
Today, this team delivered that message loud and clear on our first day of bargaining with management: Kaiser can, and MUST, do better! We shared large-scale issues that we heard from all of you through your survey results and experiences over the last 4 years.
Tomorrow, we meet again with management to hear the issues they want to bargain over. We’ll send another update then to keep you informed of everything that happens at the table.
For now, share this email with a colleague and ask them “What changes would make Kaiser the best place to work?” Make sure you follow our socials to see updates from all other bargaining tables as well!