About 85,000 unionized health care workers in several states, including more than 28,000 in California, have reached a tentative agreement for a new four-year contract with Kaiser Permanente.
The deal was reached early Friday after more than six months of negotiations and a three-day strike that ended last week.
The details of the agreement haven’t been released yet, but according to a joint statement from Kaiser Permanente and the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions, the tentative deal includes:
- Establishing a new minimum wage over the next three years. The minimum wage for California workers will reach $25 an hour. The minimum wage will reach $23 an hour for workers in the other states Kaiser serves, including Washington, Oregon, and Colorado.
- A guaranteed 21% wage increase across-the-board over the next four years.
- Added investments in job training and professional development to help retain employees and address the staffing crisis in healthcare.
- Revamped Performance Sharing Plan for employees with payout opportunities.
Dave Regan is the president of SEIU United Healthcare Workers West, the largest union in the coalition. He described the new minimum wage as “industry-leading” and allows the workforce to “not just keep up with, but exceed, the cost of living that people are struggling with across the country.”
Regan said the proposed deal includes important agreements that will help workers grow their skills and advance their careers into higher paying positions. He said it also includes an unprecedented commitment to bringing in thousands of new health care workers that aren’t currently in the industry.
Greg Holmes, the senior vice president and chief human resources officer for Kaiser Permanente, said they are very proud that the agreement…
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