October 9, 2024
It is clear: NUHW wants to strike
Unrealistic demands, unengaged bargaining, and strike threats are hallmarks of their bargaining approach to date.
Kaiser Permanente and NUHW met for the 14th and 15th bargaining sessions on Monday, October 7, and Tuesday, October 8. Unfortunately, NUHW continues to appear to be slow-walking the negotiation process, including on the very issues the union has identified as key to reaching a contract. We've been able to have meaningful conversations on only a small number of less major issues. This only delays reaching a mutually beneficial agreement and puts the continuity of patient care at risk.
We have made — and improved — offers in key areas, with no takeaways
Kaiser Permanente is committed to productive bargaining, and has put on the table strong proposals to provide higher wages, enriched retirement benefits, and planning and preparation time. During this bargaining cycle, we made, and improved, our offers in these key areas to find common ground. There are no takeaways.
In contrast, NUHW made a "counterproposal" on wages that is their original proposal, just structured differently. It seeks the same increase over 3 years as their original proposal. Most concerning, the union presented a proposal for planning and preparation time that, during the discussion at the table, they admitted could result in a full-time therapist spending 40% or more of their workweek not seeing patients. And now with limited engagement on the major issues, we have received information that NUHW is planning to issue a strike notice imminently.
Real engagement will get us to a contract
We are prepared to put in place operational plans and resources to continue delivery of mental health and addiction medicine care to our members and patients, should the union ultimately go on strike.
Despite the union's unproductive tactics, we remain open to constructive engagement with NUHW. We have scheduled bargaining dates for October 10, 15, and 17, and hope to work together toward an agreement at these sessions.
We have operated with transparency and integrity with NUHW. We want to reach a new agreement that will be good for our members and patients, our mental health and addiction medicine professionals, and Kaiser Permanente. We are determined to move forward to reach an agreement that will benefit all parties. And if the union works with us in good faith, there is no reason we cannot achieve this without the significant disruption of a work stoppage.
Threats of a strike won't get us to our objective
We urge you to ask your union leaders to stop using a strike notice as an unproductive negotiation tactic and instead bargain earnestly with us so we can jointly reach a new contract agreement.
