Negotiations continue on a new agreement

This message was sent on October 12, 2026, to Kaiser Permanente nurses in Northern California represented by the California Nurses Association from Lionel Sims, senior vice president, Human Resources, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan and Hospitals, and Priya Smith, chief employee human resources officer, The Permanente Medical Group.

To our Northern California CNA-represented nurses:

On October 7, we met with CNA for the 17th bargaining session as we negotiate a new contract. We want to take a moment to share our appreciation for the compassionate care you provide every day and share an update. We remain committed to reaching an agreement that recognizes your contributions and helps keep Kaiser Permanente a best place to give and receive care.

Kaiser Permanente is the best place in the country for nurses to work and build a career

At Kaiser Permanente, we support you in working at the top of your license and provide valuable benefits, salary, training, and robust development and growth opportunities so you can bring your best self each day for your patients. Nearly half of our hospitals have achieved Magnet® designation, including several with distinction, reflecting the excellence our nurses deliver every day.

We’re proud that you’ve chosen Kaiser Permanente as the place to build your career. Our goal is to maintain a workplace where outstanding nurses come, stay, and grow while continuing to provide high-quality, affordable care. CNA-represented nurses remain among the best compensated in the country, including industry-leading health care coverage, retirement savings benefits, and more. As a result, CNA-represented nurses stay at KP at a retention rate of 95%, a remarkable feat that speaks to the commitment we have to our nurses.

Update on bargaining

We have heard you want more details about our position on specific proposals. We’re unequivocally committed to reaching an agreement that rewards our CNA nurses for the vital contributions you make, with no economic takeaways, while keeping care affordable for our members and patients.

During bargaining, Kaiser Permanente and CNA each have shared proposals. Discussion at the bargaining table has been professional, and important topics are being addressed, but reaching the right agreement takes time. For that reason, we’re disappointed that CNA has called for a strike authorization vote. This seems more of a CNA leadership pressure tactic from a union playbook than an earnest commitment to reaching an agreement.

We believe a strike would be counterproductive — it would not support our goal of reaching an agreement. Our focus remains on negotiating in good faith at the bargaining table.

We ask our CNA-represented nurses to urge union leaders to do the same. That’s how we make real progress toward the contract you deserve.

Next Steps

We meet again with CNA on October 21 and 22, and we’re working to confirm additional dates through December.

We remain committed to reaching a contract that recognizes your value while balancing our need to remain affordable for our members and patients.

Thank you for your commitment to our mission and for helping Kaiser Permanente remain a best place to work and to receive compassionate, affordable care.