Kaiser Permanente, Union Workers Reach Tentative Deal

LOS ANGELES -- Kaiser Permanente and the union representing thousands of health care workers reached a tentative deal today that could end the labor dispute that resulted in a three-day strike last week.

According to the Kaiser, the tentative agreement establishes new minimum wages over three years for Coalition-represented employees that will reach $25 an hour in California and $23 an hour in other states where Kaiser Permanente operates.

The tentative deal also provides guaranteed across-the-board wage increases totaling 21% over four years, and increases investments in professional development and job training to help address the staffing crisis, Kaiser said.

``The frontline healthcare workers of the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions are excited to have reached a tentative agreement with Kaiser Permanente,'' the union posted on social media.

In a statement Friday, Kaiser said that the new four-year agreement will offer Coalition-represented employees "competitive wages, excellent benefits, generous retirement income plans, and valuable job training opportunities that support their economic well-being, advance our shared mission, and keep Kaiser Permanente a best place to work and receive care.''

Roughly 75,000 workers represented by the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions walked off the job from Wednesday through Friday last week in what the union billed as the largest health care strike of its kind in U.S. history. Workers walked picket lines across California and in Colorado, Washington, Oregon, Virginia and Washington, D.C.

The union coalition has been pushing for higher wages commensurate with inflation, increased staffing and working conditions.

The tentative agreement now goes to the more than 85,000 Kaiser Permanente employees who are represented by coalition unions for ratification.

The ratification process will begin on Wednesday. The Coalition unions have withdrawn their notices for a November strike.

The healthcare company previously affirmed its commitment to hiring, confirming that it has already reached a goal of hiring 10,000 new union-represented employees before the end of the year.

Among the workers who were involved in the strike were licensed vocational nurses, emergency department technicians, radiology technicians, ultrasound sonographers, teleservice representatives, respiratory therapists, X-ray technicians, certified nursing assistants, dietary services, behavioral health workers, surgical technicians, pharmacy technicians, transporters, home health aides, phlebotomists and medical assistants, union officials said.

Copyright 2023, City News Service, Inc.