đź“˝ View bargaining video here
KP National Bargaining Update #1: April 20-21, 2021
This week, our UNAC/UHCP National Bargaining Team sat down at the virtual table with Kaiser Permanente for the first time. We kicked off bargaining for our next National Agreement together with the Alliance of Health Care Unions (the Alliance or AHCU) with the strength of 50,000+ union members at KP. Scroll down to find ways you can stand behind our bargaining team this month.
While negotiations this week were limited to introductory remarks and training, we expect significant work within the different work groups over the next several weeks. The labor and management teams agreed to address the following topics through national bargaining: economics, racial justice, dispute resolution, staffing and safety.
The process for National Bargaining is very different than when we negotiate our local agreements that impact our affiliate-specific work. When we bargain the National Agreement, a group of representatives from across the nation representing every group in the Alliance form the labor side of the Common Issues Committee, or CIC. The issues we discuss in National Bargaining impact workers nationwide, so the CIC serves as the final point of consensus in the negotiations process. Overall, the Alliance has 49 seats and UNAC/UHCP negotiators sit at 15 of those seats. Below is more information on the five subcommittees addressing the key issues in national bargaining this year and bringing those agreements back to the CIC for a final vote.
Economics – wages and benefits, unresolved major sticking points from other committees, and local bargaining escalations;
Racial justice – training, diversification of workforce through internal mobility, embedding racial justice and health equality work through partnership;
Problem and dispute resolution – review current dispute resolution processes, promotion of interest-based problem solving at regional level;
Staffing, travelers and backfill – processes and lessons from COVID-19 pandemic; and
Patient and worker safety – promotion of just culture principles, PPE for the future, worker and patient safety.
While the full group won’t meet again until June 23, the committees will be meeting regularly over the next two months working towards agreements that can go back to the main table for a vote.
đź“… Next national CIC session: June 23, 2021.
TAKE THE BARGAINING SURVEY
This National Bargaining Agreement covers wages, benefits and working conditions for tens of thousands of UNAC/UHCP
members who are part of the
50,000-member Alliance of Health Care Unions (Alliance or AHCU). Please take three minutes to fill out a quick bargaining survey that will help us determine priorities for members by filling out the survey on MemberLink. Please take the survey by April 30, 2021 so that we can include your input.
đź’» Take the bargaining survey
SHARE A PPE SELFIE
To show the bargaining team we are with them, please upload a photo of yourself in PPE. Submit your photos here. These photos will be used to show our collective strength and unity throughout bargaining. Please share your photos by April 30 so that we may include you in the solidarity group photo.
đź“· Share your selfie