myUHW Kaiser

Ballots counted in union vote

Ballots counted Tuesday, January 26 in an election among 2,300 Kaiser professionals, psych-social workers, and RNs show that those workers voted for NUHW. The election only affects this small group in Southern California and not the nearly 50,000 other SEIU-UHW members at Kaiser who are launching the biggest and most active statewide contract campaign in history.

In the past year, only 2,600 SEIU-UHW members have chosen NUHW, in contrast to more than 55,000 SEIU members who have chosen to stay united in our union.

The Kaiser Division Steward Council -- more than 150 SEIU-UHW elected member leaders from across California -- came together to lay out our plan to win in 2010. We set three main goals for the national bargaining that begins in April:

• Economic progress for all members
• Locking in all current benefits and our voice at work
• Securing our jobs for the future

"We have a good plan to face all our challenges and win in 2010 and the future. Putting that plan into action will take unprecedented unity." Lynette Harper, Urgent Care, Kaiser San Jose

National agreement negotiations are just around the corner and now's the time to start thinking about our current contract, the national agreement, and our future in the 2010 negotiations. While our local contracts do not expire until 2011 for some and 2012 for others, our national agreement expires in 2010. The 2010 negotiations with Kaiser and the Coalition of Unions set the standard for all local union contracts.

Southern California Kaiser Permanente Heathcare Professionals and Psych-Social Workers

Central Valley SEIU-UHW members overwhelmingly vote to ratify new agreement that protects every member's job.

SEIU-UHW Committee Negotiates a New Agreement that Avoids All Layoffs. Members work with Management to develop new ways to save at-risk jobs.

Over 70 percent of affected Central Valley SEIU-UHW members from Kaiser Facilities in Stockton, Modesto, Manteca and Tracy turned out to vote on a new Agreement to protect jobs. After three days of voting, the Agreement passed with 81 percent of the vote.

Unions will not accept groups who win elections due to "raiding"

Southern California Kaiser workers in the Health Care Professionals, Psych-Social and AFN (Sunset registered nurse) units could not be part of the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions or participate in national negotiations with Kaiser or in the Labor-Management Partnership (LMP) if they leave SEIU-UHW and join a new organization, the unions that make up the Coalition have determined.

The CKPU announcement reads, in part: "The Coalition will not support the application by any Union to join the Coalition or the (LMP) by virtue of gaining representation of Kaiser Permanente employees by raiding a constituent member union of the Coalition."

Central Valley SEIU-UHW members overwhelmingly vote to ratify new agreement that protects every member's job

SEIU-UHW Committee Negotiates a New Agreement that Avoids All Layoffs. Members work with Management to develop new ways to save at-risk jobs.

Over 70 percent of affected Central Valley SEIU-UHW members from Kaiser Facilities in Stockton, Modesto, Manteca and Tracy turned out to vote on a new Agreement to protect jobs. After three days of voting, the Agreement passed with 81 percent of the vote.
Our member-elected SEIU-UHW Bargaining Team and TPMG Leadership worked together to develop the Agreement that creates new approaches to save jobs. The new Agreement protects all Primary, Specialty and After Hours Care workers from layoffs.

Kaiser RNs, Social Workers, & Professionals in SoCal could lose as much as $15,000 in raises and health & retirement protections in the midst of economic crisis

A decision issued on December 1 by a regional director of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has put at risk the guaranteed raises, healthcare coverage, and pensions of Kaiser Permanente RNs, social workers, and professionals in Southern California.

SEIU-UHW Members Launch Next Chapter in Our Union's History

More than 1,700 SEIU-UHW member leaders (almost 500 of them from Kaiser Division) gathered in Anaheim from October 15-17 to strategize and build the future of our union.

Kaiser Permanente member leaders were well represented, including Gloria Moller, a Kaiser call center agent, who opened the assembly with inspiring words. "We are coming together at a time like no other," said Moller. "But UHW is a union like no other. We have a plan that puts us on a path to win for members and the patients we serve."

Stewards Across California Get Ready for 2010 Contract

LOS ANGELES - When the West Los Angeles Stewards Council met recently, winning improvements in our 2010 contract was at the top of their agenda. These stewards, representing UHW members from numerous facilities across West L.A. held the first bargaining training session to prepare for negotiations early next year. Kaiser Steward Councils across the state are participating in similar training to keep our bargaining well coordinated.

The following joint announcement was issued by Kaiser Permanente and SEIU-UHW on Oct. 14, 2009:

The leadership of Kaiser Permanente Northern California and SEIU-UHW are pleased to announce that on October 12, representatives from KP and an elected committee of SEIU-UHW members, met to discuss implementation of the placement process and related issues as a result of the position elimination notices of August 11, 2009. We appreciate the spirit of engagement which was demonstrated by all of the attendees. As a result, we have agreed to the following:

More than 100 elected members of the SEIU-UHW Northern California Oversight Committee will be meeting with Kaiser management today in Oakland to discuss issues related to the potential layoff and redeployment of their co-workers. The meeting was scheduled last week, after management had cancelled a similar meeting that was to be held on September 30.