Strike Averted: Northern California Kaiser Permanente Nurses reach tentative agreement

Vote to ratify expected in coming weeks

Roseville, Calif.- More than 21,000 registered nurses and nurse practitioners at 21 Kaiser Permanente facilities in Northern California, have reached a tentative agreement with management today, averting a two-day strike that was set to begin on Monday, Nov. 21, which would have made this the biggest private-sector nurses strike in U.S. history, announced California Nurses Association/National Nurses United (CNA/NNU) today.

Kaiser registered nurses and nurse practitioners in Northern California have been in negotiations since June 2022. On Sept. 1, nurses at Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center (LAMC) joined their Northern California nurse colleagues in holding informational pickets for a total of more than 22,000 nurses.

The Northern California RNs and NPs will vote to ratify the new contract over the next few weeks. See below for a list of facilities.

“We are very pleased with this new contract, which will help us recruit new nurses and retain experienced RNs and nurse practitioners, said CNA President Cathy Kennedy, RN in the neonatal ICU at Kaiser Permanente Roseville Medical Center. “We not only won the biggest annual raises in 20 years, but we have also added more than 2,000 positions across our Northern California facilities. This will ensure safe staffing and better patient care.”

Highlights of the contract include:

• Health and safety provisions to ensure nurses get the highest level of personal protective equipment, including the requirement to maintain a three-month stockpile of PPE, screening for infectious disease, and having the same PPE when caring for patients who are confirmed or suspected of having Covid.
• Comprehensive workplace violence prevention provisions, including expanding workplace violence prevention plans to all sites, including hospitals, clinics, parking structures, and other sites; an investigation process for incidents of workplace violence, and trauma counseling for nurses.
• More than 2,000 new registered nurse and nurse practitioner positions, including 1,200 new graduate positions, 400 in specialty training, 300 float pool nurses, 80 acute reentry nurses, 50 NPs, and 80 outpatient positions.
• Investment in education: Increased tuition reimbursement for education so nurses can continue expanding their knowledge and skills.
• Economic gains and health benefit provisions to help retain and recruit experienced nurses, including no takeaways for pensions or retiree health. The agreement includes wage increases over four years.
• ​​Equity and inclusion provisions, including the creation of a new regional Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee comprised of two nurses from each facility to address systemic racism within the health care system, demographic reporting to CNA, and a commitment to a workplace free from racism and discrimination.
• Patients first language, including agreement that health care is a human right, and that we must end racial and ethnic disparities in health care outcomes, promote the delivery of culturally competent care, and expand the diversity of our health care workforce.

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee

“With this new agreement, we will create a new regional Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee to address systemic racism within the health care system,” continued Kennedy. “It is a long time coming. I am thrilled that Kaiser is committed to a workplace that is free from racism and discrimination and that Kaiser also agrees that we must fight racial and ethnic disparities in health care outcomes.”

Registered nurses at Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center also reached a tentative agreement today, and will vote to ratify the contract on Tuesday, Nov. 22.

California Nurses Association represents more than 22,000 nurses at 22 Kaiser facilities.

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Kaiser Permanente and CNA reach tentative agreement – strike called off

(Nov. 18, 2022)- Kaiser Permanente Update

Kaiser Permanente is pleased to announce that early this morning – after months of diligent bargaining and nearly round-the-clock discussions over the past week – we reached a tentative agreement with CNA. The union has called off a two-day strike that was set to begin on Monday November 21.

The tentative agreement honors our Northern California nurses with a market-based economic package that accounts for inflation, accelerates our investments in staffing, and addresses workplace safety, diversity and equity, remote work, and other key matters in a way that is sustainable and benefits our members and patients as well.

We’re proud of the work our nurses do and we are making sure Kaiser Permanente continues to be the best place to work for our valued nurses.

Increased wages to reflect marketplace changes

Demonstrating our continued investments in our nurses and the value of caring for patients at Kaiser Permanente, the tentative agreement increases wages for Northern California nurses: 221/2% over a 4-year contract. The tentative agreement is driven by the changing economy, including inflation, significant changes in the marketplace and our commitment to providing our employees with excellent pay and benefits to attract and retain the best nurses.

Agreement to add 2,000 more nurses

Right now, every health care provider in the nation is facing staffing shortages and fighting burnout, and Kaiser Permanente is not immune. The tentative agreement with CNA significantly increases nurse staffing in Northern California by more than 2,000 more nurses, to help ease staffing shortages and provide relief for our nurses. This is in addition to the hundreds of nurses we are already bringing on board through aggressive recruitment and hiring. Since 2021, we have hired about 3,300 additional nurses, of which 650 were new graduates hired through our nurse residency program.

Our nurses’ dedication to providing expert, compassionate care, especially throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, has been nothing short of inspiring. This agreement demonstrates our commitment to continuing to provide excellent, market-based compensation and a work environment that supports well-being, safety, and professional opportunities for our nurses.

The tentative agreement will be final upon a ratification vote by CNA members.

Kaiser Permanente’s long and productive history with labor unions

This tentative agreement is part of Kaiser Permanente’s long and productive history with organized labor. We are proud of our ability to successfully reach agreements with our unions, which represent 160,000 Kaiser Permanente employees – more than any other health care organization in the nation. Labor unions have always played an important role in our efforts to give more people access to high-quality care and make care more affordable.

related

• Kaiser Permanente responds to planned Nurses Strike in Roseville and Northern California
• Registered Nurses at Kaiser Permanente in Roseville to take part in two-day strike