Kaiser Settlement Reached

June 2013

On November 12, 2012, Kaiser Permanente provided Position Elimination notices to 175 UNAC/UHCP members. This was done with total disregard for our local contract, specifically the Reduction in Force language and seniority.

In response, UNAC/UHCP:

• Filed grievances
• Filed charges at the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB)
• Picketed the four facilities hit with the highest numbers of eliminations
• Emailed and texted objections to Kaiser leadership
• Asked political and union allies to write and call Kaiser to express their objection to Kaiser’s egregious behavior and to tell Kaiser to honor our contract
• Presented a petition to an angry Bernard Tyson, President and CEO of Kaiser Permanente
• Ceased participation in LMP activities

While no single action led to settlement discussions, the cumulative effect of all the actions did. For those who contributed, a hearty thanks from the UNAC/UHCP officers.

One important fact: UNAC/UHCP members, despite being in the single largest fight by any union in Kaiser since the inception of the partnership, continued to provide the highest level of quality care to the patients you serve.

On June 17, 2013, UNAC/UHCP and Kaiser reached agreement to resolve the absolute and total disrespect Kaiser showed to our local contract, the Union and worst of all, to those whose positions were inappropriately eliminated.

As a result of the resolution of this dispute, all UNAC/UHCP members can re-engage in partnership activities, including UBTs, on July 1, 2013.

Thank you to all who supported your peers in the fight to have Kaiser acknowledge our seniority provision in the local agreement! Remember, 2015 is not that far off!