Kaiser Contracts Ratification: Your Commitment to Improve Your Contract Paid Off!!
Today 11/24/21, UFCW 770 Kaiser healthcare workers overwhelmingly ratified a new contract that secures across-the-board wage increases and bonuses, protects existing medical and pension benefits, and defeats Kaiser’s proposed 2-tier wage system.
The contract ratification came after long, tense negotiations with the healthcare giant that initially proposed only a 1 % wage increase and a 2-tier wage structure that would have imposed reduced salaries for new hires and lower wage standards for healthcare workers.
The following are the main highlights of the new contract with Kaiser Permanente:
- Annual across-the-board wage increases of 3% in 2021; 3% in 2022; 2 % + 2% bonus in 2023 and 2% + 2% bonus in 2024.
- A significant move towards wage parity for certain jobs in Kern County with an additional 1.25 % wage increase beginning on July 1, 2022; and an additional 1.25% wage raise on July 1, 2023.
- An additional $.45 in longevity wage bumps for Clinical Lab Scientists.
- Increased shift differentials for pharmacy employees.
- Existing health, pension, and retiree medical benefits are preserved and improved
- A National Health, Safety, and Well-Being Committee to protect employees and patients.
- Career development and advancement opportunities for union-represented employees.
This contract benefits approximately 2,000 UFCW Local 770 members who work as pharmacy assistants, pharmacy technicians, clinical lab scientists, medical lab technicians, and clinical and administrative health care workers at numerous Kaiser locations in Los Angeles, Ventura, Kern, San Bernardino, and Riverside counties.
The involvement and commitment of our Kaiser members to push for a better deal is what made this victory possible and this is just the beginning. We will continue to fight for better contracts and stand in solidarity with other workers who are pushing for change in their workplace.
And now we go!