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About Northwest labor press. (Portland , Ore.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 6, 2019)
PAGE 4 | September 6, 2019 | NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS ...Kaiser From Page 1 company and a network of hos- pitals and clinics. Kaiser has had a special relationship with unions over the years, and up to two- fifths of Kaiser’s 12.3 million members are in households that get their health insurance through a union. Leaders of the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions have been putting out word that Kaiser is no longer the union- friendly partner it has promoted itself to be under a two-decade- old labor-management partner- ship agreement. The union lead- ers say Kaiser has been outsourcing and automating union jobs, understaffing facil- ities, and raising patient premi- ums, and is now seeking to re- duce worker wages and benefits in union contract negotiations. “There’s no question about it: Kaiser has lost its way, from a corporation geared toward part- nership to one solely focused on inflating profits and enriching top executives,” said Sean Wherley, spokesperson for SEIU United Healthcare West, the largest of the coalition unions. “Workers want to get the partnership back on track. They want Kaiser to put patients and workers first, and re- turn to the mission of being a non-profit community based health system.” Kaiser paid its CEO Bernard Tyson $16 million in 2017, the most recent year for which IRS non-profit disclosures are avail- able. That’s more than Nike paid its CEO that year. Kaiser also paid 35 other executives more than $1 million in 2017. And yet in union contract ne- gotiations, Kaiser is asking for multiple take-aways and is pushing proposals that would create division between new hires and incumbent workers, and between workers in Califor- nia and other Kaiser regions. For starters, SEIU says Kaiser proposed that new hires no longer get a defined benefit pen- sion. Kaiser spokesperson Michael G. Foley wouldn’t con- firm or deny that Kaiser initially proposed that, and said via email that the news media isn’t an appropriate venue for back and forth bargaining. But Kaiser is proposing to eliminate — for new hires only — its promise of retiree health insurance subsi- dies. It’s also proposing to pay some new hires 15% less for three years while they learn on the job. It’s proposing to in- crease health insurance co-pays for all workers. And it’s propos- Staff Charlie Johnson, Business Manager/FST Shawn Eckelberry, Business Representative Josh McClaughry, Business Representative Joe Harris, Business Representative Vanessa Steward, Business Representative Brian Noble, Business Development Darrin Boyce, Business Development Russ Benton, Business Development Emmy Keever, Office Manager Lisa Bloker, Secretary Calli Moore, Secretary Zoe Hoyt, Secretary ing different raises depending on region: California workers would get raises of 3% a year, but Oregon workers would get 2% and Colorado workers would get as little as 1%. The Coalition of Kaiser Per- manente Unions has said no to “Kaiser has lost its way, from a corporation geared toward partner- ship to one solely focused on inflating profits and enriching top executives.” — Sean Wherley, SEIU UHW spokesperson all of those concessionary pro- posals, and is proposing annual wage increases of 3 and 4% across all of Kaiser’s territory. It’s also proposing contract pro- visions that would halt outsourc- ing and limit any automation that results in worsened patient care. Cindy Vanderveer, a phle- botomist at Kaiser Sunnyside Medical Center and a member of SEIU Local 49, says she’s seen up close how Kaiser staffing cuts have pinched pa- tient care: When she started five years ago, Sunnyside had seven phlebotomists on her night shift. Now there are three. Workers across the Kaiser sys- tem have similar stories of Kaiser cutting corners on labor costs. In California, Kaiser has outsourced several hundred union jobs, in- cluding shuttle drivers, parking lot attendants, warehouse work- ers and couriers. At its Interstate campus in North Portand, Kaiser replaced its popular healthy food cafeteria with vending machines, and laid off about 15 members of SEIU Local 49. Local 49 President Meg Niemi says her members who work in patient registration can face discipline if they don’t push patients to use kiosks to check themselves in. “We all know where that leads,” Niemi said. “The day may come when you show up at Kaiser Permanente and your only choice is to try to check in with the kiosk.” Vanderveer — who serves on the national bargaining team — said the vote to strike was not a decision that workers made lightly: “Kaiser left us no choice,” Vanderveer said. “Kaiser needs to do the right thing. They need to invest in their patients and employees.” Kaiser vice president John Nelson called the strike vote “counterproductive and simply a Officers Dustin Hysmith, President, Devin Hosking, Vice President Michael McIntyre, Recording Secretary Thomas Belezos, Warden Glenn Larimer, Conductor Trustees Justin Bigelow Eric Clayton Todd Stevens Doug Haase bullying tactic” in an Aug. 13 public statement. “SEIU-UHW leadership is more interested in a power play to position them- selves vis-a-vis other Kaiser Per- manente unions,” Nelson wrote. The other unions Nelson was likely referring to are 22 local unions totaling 47,000 Kaiser workers that withdrew from the decades-old CKPU coalition in March 2018 after internal con- flicts with the leadership of its largest member, SEIU United Healthcare West. The breakaway unions formed their own coali- tion, the Alliance of Health Care Unions, and reached a multi- union agreement with Kaiser in September 2018 after months of tense bargaining. Northwest lo- cals in the Alliance of Health Care Unions include Oregon Federation of Nurses and Health Professional Local 5017-Ameri- can Federation of Teachers, and UFCW Local 555. Niemi says in the Northwest, members of the two coalitions have maintained good relations: “I have commitments from UFCW and OFNHP that they will do everything they legally can to support our members in case of a strike.” The two sides haven’t met to negotiate since July 11, but are scheduled to meet again for ne- gotiations on Sept. 16. Executive Board Art Himm Jared Bonney Steve Stewart II Ed Dawes William Willman Troy Rolfe Logan White
