Kaiser, Mental Health Workers Reach Tentative Three-Year Contract Deal To Avoid Strike

On Sunday, the National Union of Healthcare Workers -- which represents 1,400 Northern California psychologists, therapists and social workers -- announced that it had reached a tentative contract deal with Kaiser Permanente averting a strike that was expected to start Monday. Among other things, the proposed three-year contract calls for a one-to-four ratio of new-to-return patients and allows Kaiser workers to advocate for their patients and meet treatment needs without threat of discipline or discharge. The deal now must be ratified by union members.

• "Kaiser, Mental Health Workers Avert Strike" (Noguchi, San Jose Mercury News, 11/16).
• "Kaiser, Therapists Reach Deal, Averting Strike" (Schultz/Green, San Francisco Chronicle, 11/15).