Union Kaiser Permanente Members To Vote on Tentative Agreement With Healthcare Giant

Los Angeles— Averting a nationwide strike, almost 4,000 UFCW union Kaiser Permanente workers represented by six UFCW locals in Southern California will start to vote on a contract agreement Nov. 22. The rank-and-file member vote comes after a standoff with the healthcare giant that saw multiple unions threatening a strike over a punitive contract offer.  The new, tentative agreement was ratified by delegates at a conference last Nov. 17.

Using an electronic voting system, the ratification vote is set to begin at 7 p.m. Nov. 22 and continue through 5 p.m. Nov. 24 .

If ratified, the agreement will have an effective date of Oct. 1, 2021 through Oct. 1, 2024.

The tentative deal with Kaiser Permanente secures: 

Significant annual across-the-board wage increases of 3% in 2021; 3% in 2022; 2 % + 2% bonus in 2023 and 2% + 2% bonus in 2024.

Wage parity for certain jobs in Kern County with a 1.25 % wage increase beginning on July 1, 2022; and an additional 1.25% wage raise on July 1, 2023.

Clinical Lab Scientists will receive an additional $.45 in longevity wage bumps.

The tentative agreement also protects existing medical and pension benefits and eliminates Kaiser’s proposed 2-tier wage system.

The proposed deal adds new staffing language to continue to protect employees and patients, and maintains benefits while providing career development and advancement opportunities for union-represented employees. 

When ratified, the agreement will ensure Kaiser Permanente patients continue to receive safe, high-quality care and service; maintain Alliance union members’ industry-leading wages and benefits; and ensure Kaiser Permanente remains affordable for its members in the future.

On Nov. 13, the Alliance of Healthcare Unions – a coalition of 22 labor organizations including UFCW– and the company, both announced a tentative agreement, halting a strike that was set to start in the following 48 hours. AHU represents over 50,000 health care employees across the country.

UFCW union members were actively involved in this contract fight. Workers participated in town hall meetings, wore campaign stickers and union t-shirts, participated at the mega March for the Future of Healthcare in Pasadena, shared their stories in the press, created videos and social media posts. They also authorized a strike and signed up for picket shifts.

The tentative agreement benefits approximately 2,000 UFCW Local 770 members who work as pharmacy clerks, pharmacy technicians and interns as well as clinical lab scientists and clinical and administrative health care workers at numerous Kaiser locations in Los Angeles, Ventura, Kern, San Bernardino and Riverside counties.