Kaiser Permanente, Workers Tentatively Agree to New Contract, Await Final Approval
Kaiser Permanente has reached a tentative agreement for a five-year contract covering 82,000 employees nationwide, the Oakland-based HMO and its unions were expected to announce Thursday, the Sacramento Bee reports (Osterman, Sacramento Bee, 9/29).
Members of 29 union locals are voting on the contract this week, which includes annual pay raises, an expanded job training fund and additional benefits. As of Wednesday, 92% of the more than 40,000 Kaiser workers who voted, did so in favor of the contract, according to the Contra Costa Times.
If the contract is approved by Friday, it would take effect Saturday and affect workers at 400 facilities in nine states and Washington, D.C. (Temple, Contra Costa Times, 9/29).
In addition, the coalition of national unions also agreed to help expedite Kaiser's transition to electronic record keeping (Sacramento Bee, 9/29).