After months of negotiations often broken off, the coalition of unions and KP reached a tentative consensus Tuesday to avert a 7-day walkout, potentially the largest US strike since the Teamsters’ 185,000 in 1997. Next comes voting for ratification of the agreement by the 85,000 unionized members in California, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington state, and the capitol area: Virginia, Maryland and Washington D.C.
Voting should be completed by October 31. If approved, the contract will run retroactive to Oct. 1 for four years. The Coalition had cited KP’s intransigence since April 2018 on contract negotiations, with issues of wages, benefits, worker safety —goodjobsfirst.org VIOLATION TRACKER lists 57 workplace violaton records and $38,657,920 in penalties on KP between 2000 and Sept 2018— outsourcing, layoffs, and staffing inadequate for KP’s 12.2million health plan “members” as of 31 Dec 2018 topping the list.
As of September 16, all locals in the union Coalition[*] had completed voting overwhelmingly in favor of a strike if negotiations failed by Sept 24. Meanwhile, support for the unions had grown at the grassroots and among politicians, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, presidential hopeful Senator Kamala Harris, D-Calif., Sens. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., and Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif. The Denver City Council was among local entities coming out in support of the union. Particular ire was fueled by ProPublica-documented high compensation packages of KP executives, such as $16 million last year for CEO, Bernard J. Tyson.
Support for the strike has continued to mount over the past few months, with labor interests across the country skewering the Oakland, California-based nonprofit provider for soaring profits and what they see as unfair labor practices.
Along with sitting on more than $37 billion in reserves, Kaiser took in more than $5.2 billion in income in the first half of the year alone, heightening scrutiny of the system.
California Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, signed a bill into law earlier this month mandating Kaiser be more transparent within its financial disclosures, including breaking down expenses and revenue on a per-facility basis, revenue by type of payer and rate increases by type of medical service provided starting in 2020.
It's been almost a full year since the Kaiser workforce's national contract expired. Kaiser was charged by the National Labor Relations Board for failing to bargain in good faith in December, and union employees have been working without a national contract ever since.
Union officials also wanted movement on a plan to build the workforce, KP’s habit of unnecessarily raising rates for patients, and not accepting enough low income patients.
The planned walkout would have affected jobs ranging from optometrists and x-ray technicians to vocational nurses and housekeepers, clerks and MOAs… the majority of workers involved are women.
HealthcareDive.com reports
Support for the strike has continued to mount over the past few months, with labor interests across the country skewering the Oakland, California-based nonprofit provider for soaring profits and what they see as unfair labor practices.
Along with sitting on more than $37 billion in reserves, Kaiser took in more than $5.2 billion in income in the first half of the year alone, heightening scrutiny of the system.
California Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, signed a bill into law earlier this month mandating Kaiser be more transparent within its financial disclosures, including breaking down expenses and revenue on a per-facility basis, revenue by type of payer and rate increases by type of medical service provided starting in 2020.
It's been almost a full year since the Kaiser workforce's national contract expired. Kaiser was charged by the National Labor Relations Board for failing to bargain in good faith in December, and union employees have been working without a national contract ever since.
KP had faced well over a decade of employee strikes for better treatment of workers and for KP to fully deliver the care it claims to, with mental health patients the ones most often let fall through the cracks.
The national contract expired 30 September 2018, Kaiser had postponed renegotiation beyond the scheduled April 2018 start date, local contracts would have expired at the end of this September, and talks had broken off July 12.
If the unions had found necessary to call a strike, they’d file a notice with the National Labor Relations Board ten days in advance, for alternative provision of patient care to be arranged by KP.
[*] Coalition of KaiserPermanente Unions AFL-CIO: The Engineers and Scientists of California Local 20, IFPTE ■ Service Employees Int’l Union—United Healthcare Workers West (SEIU-UHW) ■ Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU) Local 30 ■ OPEIU Local 29 ■ Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 121RN ■ Service Employees International Union Local 105 ■ Hawaii Nurses Association OPEIU Local 50 ■ OPEIU Local 2 ■ SEIU Local 49 ■ OPEIU Local 8 ■ SEIU Local 1199 NW
<small>SEE EARLIER KP DIARIES AT THE TAG. FULL SOURCES:
- HealthcareDive.com — Sept 25, 2019 — Kaiser strike called off as company, unions reach tentative agreement
- opb.org Sept 17, 2019 — Biggest Strike US Has Seen In Years Poised To Hit Kaiser Permanente
- HealthcareDive.com — Sept 13, 2019 — Colorado union votes to strike at Kaiser, bringing 'yes' votes nationwide to 42K
- goodjobsfirst.org VIOLATION TRACKER: 57 KP workplace violation records and $38,657,920 in penalties on KP between 2000 and Sept 2018.
- HealthcareDive.com — Sept 6, 2019 — Starting in 2020, profit-soaring Kaiser loses California non-profit privilege of minimal expense & revenue breakdown. Another bill, requiring nonprofit health systems to report more on executive and physician compensation is wending its way thru’ state legislature.
- SacramentoBee — Sept 6, 2019 — Newsom signs SEIU-backed bill requiring Kaiser to share more hospital financial data — consumer group Health Access California, the California Public Employees’ Retirement System, business groups such as Small Business Majority were among other supporters of the bill.
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...As part of the legislation, Kaiser will have to break out expenses and revenue for each of its facilities; break out revenue by type of payor (Medicare, Medi-Cal or private insurance) at each facility; and break out rate increases by type of service (hospital, physician services, pharmacy, radiology and laboratory).
“We think it’s an important transparency measure,” said Anthony Wright, the executive director of Health Access California. “Right now, we do require rate review of our insurers, and Kaiser has had a fairly broad exemption from much of the rate review processes that other insurers have to follow, and what this bill does is fairly simple. It ensures Kaiser is providing the same types of information justifying their rates as other health insurers have to do...”
- NW Labor Presss.org — Sept 5, 2019 — Massive Kaiser Permanente strike could come in October
- American Prospect — Sept 3, 2019 — Kaiser Hospital Workers Mobilize for Largest Strike in Two Decades
- HealthcareDive.com — Aug. 29, 2019 — Kaiser Permanente workers are set to strike. Does it mark a new trend?
- CBSNews — Aug. 27, 2019 — Bill Targeting Kaiser Permanente Financial Disclosures Heads To Gov. Newsom’s Desk
- cpr.org — Aug 26, 2019 — If Kaiser Permanente Votes To Strike, Thousands Of Workers Would Walk Out From The Colorado Health Care Giant
- San Diego Reader — 26 August 2019 — Kaiser to face largest strike anywhere in 20 years — Unions claim company made $5.2 billion in profits the first 6 months of 2019.
- danilfineman.com — Aug 22, 2019 — Kaiser mortgage to rehab Metropolis Heights reasonably priced houses
- LA Times — Aug 12, 2019 — Kaiser Permanente workers in California vote to approve strike
- HealthcareDive.com — Aug 12, 2019 [2nd quarter of 2019] KP net income $2 billion, up from 2018 2nd Qtr $653 million.
- Medscape — August 2, 2019 — Docs Get Tiny Raises While Nonprofit Healthcare CEOs get >$10M
- Wikipedia — KaiserPermanente as of July 2019.
- ABCNews — July 20, 2019 Oakland City Council approves $28mill sale to KP of public parking garage
- Forbes — Jul 12, 2019 — 85,000 KP Health Workers Threaten Strike
- ABCNews — July 10, 2019 — Kaiser mental health workers strike in San Francisco, demand more staffing for patients
- Medscape — July 5, 2019 — Are Exorbitant Corporate Salaries in Healthcare Unethical?
- SanFranciscoChronicle — June 23, 2019 — KaiserPerm deal for Warriors arena plaza & Chase Center area to be renamed “Thrive City” could hit $295 million.
- Modern Healthcare — June 17, 2019 — $900million New KP HQ in Oakland
- Kaiser Permanente.org — Local ‘markets’ and other “Fast Facts” as of June 2019.
- ABCNews — March 11, 2019 — Family speaks out after grandfather told he’s dying by KP doctor video robot.
- HealthcareDive.com — [First quarter of 2019] KP net income nearly $3.2 billion compared with about $1.2 billion the prior-year period [following open enrollment seasons].
- search — Jan-Aug 2019 RxHomeFund/ThrivingCommunities/...
- HeathcareDive.com — [First half of 2018] KP posted nearly $40billion in revenue
- National Union of Health Workers — January 7, 2019 Chronology: Kaiser Permanente’s Mental Health Crisis
- ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer 2019 — Form 990, Schedule J for KP Fiscal Year Ending Dec 2017.
- goodjobsfirst.org WORKPLACE VIOLATION TRACKER - 56 workplace violatIon records and $37,757,920 in penalties on KP, 2000 - 2018.
- ABCNews -- December 20, 2018 — Thousands of KP’s unionized mental health workers make arrangements to meet patient needs for the week before walking out on strike.
- ModernHealthcare.com — Dec 20, 2018 — KP settles in 2014 patient class action lawsuit.
- TheBusinessJournals.com — Nov 14, 2018 — Hospitals and health systems with highest-paid leaders...
- ABCNews — September 3, 2018 — Over 1,000 Kaiser employees and their unions and supporters marched in Oakland to protest planned job cuts and outsourcing.
- HealthcareDive.com — Aug. 24, 2018 — KP reported $39.9billion in operating revenue for the first six months of 2018
- HealthcareDive.com — April 30, 2018 — 55,000 member SEIU-UHW protests KP layoffs & outsourcing of pharmacy warehouse & call center operations.
- ABCNews — September 18, 2017 — Kaiser nurses rally for better resources for patients at 21 California locations as contract end approaches and negotiations drag on.
- HealthcareDive.com — August 31, 2017 — NorthBay Healthcare’s 2nd Lawsuit vs Kaiser Permanente for underpayment on Emergency Department care.
- ABCNews -- July 12, 2015 — Thousands of Kaiser mental health professionals strike for better resouces after 5 years of contract negotiations fail to remedy dearth from increased patient ‘memberships’.
- medscape.com — July 5, 2017 — Despite three warnings and a multimillion-dollar fine a few years ago, Kaiser Permanente still fails to provide members with appropriate access to mental health care,
- Los Angeles Daily News — March 26, 2015 — CalState Student wins $28.2mil KP lawsuit for negligence causing loss of leg, half pelvis & parts of spine.
- medscape.com — Feb 25, 2015 — For 2nd time in 2 years, the state of California faults HMO giant KP on failing access to patients for mental health care
- ABCNews — Jan 26, 2015 — KaiserPerm averts strike by tentative agreement w/ California Nurses Association/National Nurses United for 18,000 employees’ 3-year contract:
...The nurses claimed Kaiser was cutting back on its patient care standards by decreasing hospital services, making restrictions on admitting patients for hospital care and discharging patients early though they needed further hospitalization, according to the CNA.
[Also] that Kaiser provided them with insufficient resources, equipment and training that put nurses and patients at risk.
- PressDemocrat — January 10, 2015 — Kaiser braces for strike Monday by mental health clinicians
- topclassactions.com — Sept 11, 2014 — Class Action Suit alleges KP tells guardians of psychiatric patient ‘members’ they can only receive care if they cancel KP insurance/“membership & get covered by Medicare & Medi-Cal
- Medscape - April 3, 2013 — California Dept of Managed Health Care (DMHC) cites Kaiser Permanente in mental health service cover-up
- sportspromedia.com — June 13, 2012 — Golden State Warriors NBA team sponsor Kaiser Permanente becomes naming-rights partner in 3,200-capacity Santa Cruz arena in deal rumored largest ever for NBA's Developmental League.
- HuffingtonPost — November 14, 2011 — Kaiser Permanente Makes Billions In Profits While Overburdening Staff: Report “Kaiser Permanente has made an estimated $5.7 billion in profit since 2009.”
- AMA Journal of Ethics — January 2009 — elderly woman suffering from dementia off by Kaiser Permanente Bellflower Medical Center at Union Rescue Mission, an organization that serves the needy and homeless, in nothing but a hospital gown
- npr.org — November 2006 — Kaiser Faces Charges for [literally] Dumping Homeless Patient [on skid row].
- kaiserthrive.org — April 2006 — Kaiser Permanente sued for lack of disabled accommodations.
- kaiserthrive.org — March 2006 — Patient Dumping on skid row said caught on tape.
- lmpartnership.org — 1997 Labor Management Partnership Agreement between Kaiser Permanente and the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions