Kaiser Permanente healthcare workers reached a tentative agreement Friday on a new contract.
The workers had staged three-day walkouts earlier his month.
U.S. Acting Secretary Julie Su helped bring the two sides together in an agreement that includes Kaiser Permanente workers in Montgomery County, Virginia and D.C.
According to a news release from the healthcare workers, the tentative agreement “will bolster patient safety and make critical investments in the healthcare workforce at hundreds of Kaiser facilities” throughout the county.
“We’re incredibly grateful to acting U.S. Labor Secretary Julie Su and the Biden administration for supporting workers’ right to collective bargaining. Acting Secretary Su was instrumental in advancing talks and helping to facilitate a successful conclusion to these negotiations,” said Sarah Levesque, Secretary-Treasurer of OPEIU Local 2.
“When workers have a voice and a seat at the table, it can result in historic gains for workers, their employer, and our country,” said Su.
“This deal is life-changing for frontline healthcare workers like me, and life-saving for our patients,” said Yvonne Esquivel, a pediatric medical assistant in Gilroy, California. “Thousands of Kaiser healthcare workers fought hard for this new agreement, and now we will finally have the resources we need to do the job we love and keep our patients safe.”
According to a news release from union members, the agreement raises wages by 21% over four years, which they expect will help retain workers. It also establishes a minimum wage of $23 in this area.
The tentative agreement streamlines hiring practices, increases training and education funding calls for mass hiring events.
“Millions of Americans are safer today because tens of thousands of dedicated healthcare workers fought for and won the critical resources they need and that patients need,” said Caroline Lucas, Executive Director of the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions. “This historic agreement will set a higher standard for the healthcare industry nationwide.”
The Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions represents 85,000 Kaiser healthcare workers in seven states and the District of Columbia.
Frontline healthcare workers who are union members are expected to begin voting to ratify the agreement Oct. 18.
