Kaiser Union Reaches Tentative Agreement to Avert Strike
Union leaders representing 50,000 nurses and other U.S. medical staff reached a tentative agreement with Kaiser Permanente, averting a strike that could have disrupted patient care at hospitals, according to Reuters. Thousands of employees at Kaiser Permanente in Oregon, California, Colorado and other states had threatened to walk out this week over Kaiser’s plan to create a two-tiered wage system with lower pay for new hires.
Kaiser and Alliance of Health Care Unions, which represents 22 local unions, agreed on a four-year contract that includes wage increases each year through 2025, the union said in a statement. The deal also includes health and retirement benefits along with the introduction of a bonus plan. The statement did not include any financial details.
“This agreement will mean patients will continue to receive the best care, and Alliance members will have the best jobs,” Hal Ruddick, executive director of the Alliance union, said in the statement. “This contract protects our patients, provides safe staffing, and guarantees fair wages and benefits for every Alliance member.”
- ◦People