MEDIA STATEMENT
January 22, 2026
Kaiser Permanente’s statement on the best way forward in Alliance bargaining
Local bargaining tables are the most effective path to secure new contracts for Alliance-represented employees.
Kaiser Permanente has been bargaining with the Alliance of Health Care Unions since May of 2025 — the longest national bargaining period in the history of our Labor Management Partnership. Despite more than 1,000 bargaining sessions at the national and local bargaining tables over these 8 months, there has been no real movement on economic issues at the national table since the contract expired in September.
Unfortunately, much of the activity by the Alliance and some of its members violates our Labor Management Partnership Agreement and undermines the purpose of national bargaining, including:
- The recent attempt by UNAC/UHCP to coerce concessions in national bargaining by threatening to release information of purportedly unlawful and unethical conduct
- Corporate campaign tactics designed to drive patients and health plan members away from Kaiser Permanente
- Instructing employees to withhold information about union strike plans in order to interfere with our ability to operate during a strike, which is against everything we are here to do
- Directing employees to no longer participate in activities aimed at achieving and maintaining market-leading performance
At the same time, local bargaining has been delivering real results, with 29 out of the 53 bargaining units reaching tentative agreements on matters at their local tables. This includes 6 of the 11 Alliance union affiliates reaching tentative agreements for all local units within their union.
Now with another strike looming and UNAC/UCHP at the center of most open issues and non-partnership activity, we don’t see a path to an agreement through national bargaining. Because it has become clear that the national process is gridlocked, we are moving the remaining unresolved national issues to the local bargaining tables — the most effective and timely path to secure new contracts, wage increases, and enhanced benefits for our Alliance-represented employees.
What moving to local bargaining means
Local bargaining is a practical solution to accelerate agreements and ensure employees receive the raises and benefits they deserve without waiting for a breakthrough in national negotiations. It empowers each of the Alliance unions to reach full tentative agreements and ratify contracts at their local tables — bypassing the national gridlock and building on the real momentum already achieved by many local units.
The Labor Management Partnership Agreement does not require national bargaining, and it does not make sense to return to a process that has been stalled for months. To avoid further delays, and to protect the integrity of the partnership, we are filing a petition in court to confirm up front that this path forward is valid.
Our commitment to employees and patients
More than 3 months have passed without a contract for many Alliance-represented employees, and that is long enough. Our employees deserve raises, and our patients deserve our full focus. Local bargaining allows us to deliver both.
We urge all Alliance unions to return to their local tables so we can finalize agreements and move forward together.
