Kaiser Market wage increases ratified!

MARKET WAGE INCREASES RATIFIED!

KP ProTech/Optical and Pharmacy union members turned out yesterday in record numbers to say YES to increased wages!

After several months of union members pushing back against wage disparities through petitions, a demand letter, hundreds of postcards and using our collective voice, KP agreed to increase wages for UFCW Members.

Wage increases will be effective the beginning of the next full pay period.

Implementation of the wage increases will be in 90-120 days.

KP ProTech/Optical and Pharmacy members should see retro pay within two pay periods following the implementation date.

Congratulations!

Kaiser Permanente WA Pro Tech, Optical, & Pharmacy WAGE INCREASES Online VOTE scheduled

Our union Bargaining Teams have reached a tentative agreement on mid-contract wage increases and are recommending a yes vote!

ONLINE VOTE SCHEDULED: Thursday, April 18, 2024 from 7am-5pm

On Thursday morning you will receive an email with your unique log-in credentials so you can review the wage increase proposal and vote. You must be a member in good standing to be eligible to participate in union votes, make sure your personal email is up-to-date use the QR code or visit ufcw3000.org >>

ONLINE INFORMATION MEETINGS:

Drop-in vote meetings to review the wage increase proposal and ask questions: Monday, April 15 from 5:30pm-6:30pm and Tuesday, April 16 from 12pm-1pm and 5:30pm-6:30pm

If you do not receive an email to vote on April 18, please contact union Rep Lauren VanWormer 206-436-6584 or Contract Specialist Rep JJ Benson 425-306-1357.

KAISER PRO TECH/OPTICAL & PHARMACY TAKING ACTION GETS RESULTS, TENTATIVE AGREEMENT ON WAGE INCREASES!

“Together we showed how strong we are as a Union and what we can accomplish when we come together!” —Jeannette (JJ) Benson

As KP WA UFCW3000 members, alongside the thousands of workers in the Alliance of Healthcare Unions, we let management know that enough is enough. As a result of your ongoing action over the last two years including petitions, postcards, and, most recently, the demand letter —Management has agreed to market rate adjustments, resulting in wage increases for UFCW members!

On Tuesday, April 2, our union team from Pro Tech Optical and Pharmacy along with Leaders from the Alliance of Healthcare Workers met with Management and successfully negotiated for mid-contract wage increases. These increases will be in addition to the contractual increases ratified in 2021.

Union Members will have an opportunity to review and discuss the tentative wage increases and vote. Additional information with dates and times will be sent soon. All members in good standing are encouraged to vote, make sure your current contact information, including your personal email address are up to date!

Update your information ahead of the vote: ufcw3000.org/update-your-information

“I appreciate giving feedback and seeing something happen as a result.” —Vicki Kobeski

Kaiser Permanente - PSP Victory!

Kaiser Permanente
PSP Victory!

As an Alliance, we pushed Kaiser to give higher PSPs and when we fight, we win.

For the Washington region, a full-time employee (having worked 1,800 hours) will receive $2,000 in your Performance Sharing Plan (PSP) bonus this year!

In 2023, we crushed the Affordability and Safety goals, yet didn’t meet the Quality and Service goals. With these PSP results and our region not meeting the financial gate, KP was only contractually obligated to pay each full-time member ~$750.

Yet we all know the region’s finances are not the fault of UFCW3000 members. With our below market wages, putting more money into PSP bonuses is the least KP can do. And because of our Wage Up! Staff Up! Partner Up! Campaign alongside our Affordability savings, KP said they’d pay $1,500 in our PSP bonus.

We responded to their $1,500 and said that’s not enough, and because we stood united and were quick to mobilize, we won more.

Washington, Colorado, and Mid-Atlantic regions—all regions that did not meet the financial gate—will be receiving $2,000.00 per member* which is over $5 million moved from Kaiser’s pockets and into those of its workers!

*If not a full-time, employee this amount with be pro-rated based on the number of hours worked last year

What to expect:

• March 15 paycheck: $1500 check (minus taxes)

• March 29 paycheck: $500 check (minus taxes)

For now, we celebrate our work to hold Kaiser accountable in doing the right thing, yet we know this doesn’t do what is needed: fix understaffing or raise wages.

Take action! Follow the links in the text below to:

>> Push Management for wage increases by signing our demand letter. >>

>> Organize our workplaces by attending steward training. >>

QUESTIONS? Reach out to Union Rep Lauren VanWormer @ 206-436-6584.

UFCW 3000 Member Story: Annie and Sarah

Annie Walton (left) and Sarah Tran Lau

Annie Walton and Sarah Tran Lau are both new union stewards at Kaiser Permanente working at the Renton Admin Building that holds the regional lab. Sarah and Annie, after working behind the scenes on vital lab work, became fed up with wages continuing to be below market. With the support of UFCW 3000, Sarah and Annie organized with their coworkers about the issue, wrote a petition for higher wages, and got over 80% of their lab coworkers across KP WA to sign on. Through this action, they've learned a lot about how to organize in their workplace.

When they delivered the petition, they included testimony from lab workers across the state, a video with support from UFCW3000 KP stewards in other job classifications, and community ally support. Since then KP has committed to making wage adjustments for job classifications way behind, which we know would include the laboratory workers. We hope Kaiser will do the right thing...sooner rather than later!

UFCW 3000 Member Story: Vanessa Wixom

Vanessa Wixom and her daughter enjoy some time outdoors

Vanessa Wixom works as a Pharmacy Tech at the Riverfront location for Kaiser Permanente in Spokane Washington.  Vanessa is a fantastic leader in her workplace, and is always very proactive she and her coworkers have concerns by making sure that their rights as union workers are respected by Kaiser.  Outside of work Vanessa is a mom, loves spending time with her family, and enjoying the outdoors with the gorgeous Northwest scenery in Eastern Washington.  Vanessa’s love for the outdoors has led her to be a volunteer for the local River/Park cleanups in Spokane to make sure that others can enjoy them.  Thank you for all of your hard work Vanessa!

Kaiser Continues to Ignore Staffing Crisis & Partnership - KP execs refuse to honor our contributions

Kaiser Continues to Ignore Staffing Crisis & Partnership
KP execs refuse to honor our contributions

For the past year, we’ve called on Kaiser Permanente to partner with us to address the staffing crisis. We’ve told KP management that increasing pay is a key part of fixing the staffing crisis. KP refuses to reopen our contract to address ATB raises to reflect the dramatic change in inflation, the labor market, employee morale, and staffing shortages that have occurred since 2021. KP says they will not make the changes needed to address the current staffing crisis and does not acknowledge how conditions have changed since two years ago. KP’s response does not reflect partnership or a commitment to employees. Kaiser Permanente executives continue to bury their heads in the sand about what our members are experiencing.

At a time when the CDC is calling on healthcare systems like Kaiser Permanente to take immediate steps to address worker burnout, KP refuses to honor our contributions.

In a recent Alliance survey:

• 95% said the staffing crisis is affecting patient care and access.

• 90% said the staffing crisis has increased stress and impacts our mental health.

• Increasing wages and improving working conditions were the top two solutions to address the staffing crisis.

Our survey results showed what many of you already know - the staffing crisis at KP is dire and demands an urgent comprehensive response. And yet Kaiser Permanente refuses to take tangible actions to address the staffing crisis with wage increases and improved working conditions.

We must continue to push KP at the national level and at the front lines to do the right thing and WAGE UP! If we want to be competitive and provide the care and service our patients deserve, KP needs to act now! Join us and call on KP to Wage Up, Staff Up, and Partner Up, today.

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Lump Sum Update

Our Alliance-KP National Agreement calls for a 2% lump sum effective this October, based on earnings in the prior 26 pay periods. As is unfortunately typical of KP’s flawed HR connect system, it is taking KP a long time to calculate the correct payments. KP has told us you should expect to see your lump sum on either November 10 or November 17 depending on the pay period cycle in your region.

The lump sum will be based on actual earnings during the 26 pay periods of the prior contract year, including base pay, overtime pay, differentials, sick and vacation pay, etc. The calculation does not include bonus and benefit payments. It is based on actual earnings, not FTE status, so employees

Kaiser Permanente - PSP and Retention Bonuses

Kaiser Permanente
PSP and Retention Bonuses

You should have received your PSP payout! In the National Alliance Agreement, we won language which guarantees $200 per goal met at TARGET, even when the KP financial gate is not met. In Washington, the PSP payout is between $400 and $600 depending on your 2022 attendance and is broken down like this:

The Five Goals

1. Affordability
   Everyone receives $200

2. Workplace Violence Prevention Training
   Everyone receives $200

3. Quality (DREs)
   Goal not met $0

4. Service (QR codes)
   Goal not met $0

5. Attendance
   If you personally met target for unprotected ill time used in 2022, you received $200

To reach the PSP goal for attendance and receive a $200 payout for 2022, you must have achieved either Target or Stretch:

• Threshold: 2.0% or less of unprotected time taken off $0

• Target: 1.4% or less of unprotected time taken off

• Stretch: 1.16% of unprotected ill time taken

If you reach one of these goals or a number in between, you received one $200 payout for attendance. You will not receive more than one $200 payout if you reach Target or Stretch.

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Note: Unprotected ill time is defined as time off not approved by Management such as an unscheduled absence. Protected sick leave under a federal, state, city, or contractual leave of absence such as PSL, WPFML, Matrix, FMLA, Leave of Absence, etc. is protected.

“Unscheduled time off is considered excessive if it occurs more than 6 times during a year, or more than 3% of the employees work time.”

(See Article 12.02.2 for Pharmacy and Article 13.02 for Pro-Tech/Optical of the UFCW 3000—Kaiser Permanente contract.)

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Retention bonus coming soon!

These bonuses are a result of union members mobilizing and speaking out. Advocacy won the $500 bonus here is Washington State! But this is not enough. We need a comprehensive, long term solution including wage adjustments, training programs and conditions that cause people to quit. While a one-time bonus is a positive step, we know the cure is going to require much more, and we won’t rest until we achieve a full solution for our patients and union members.

For additional information, please reach out to Contract Specialist, Penny Manker @ 425-306-1357 OR Union Rep Lauren Van Wormer (effective Tuesday, March 7) @ 206-436-6584.

CORRECTION: Kaiser Permanente - Vote on new travel group pods

Kaiser Permanente
VOTE ON NEW TRAVEL GROUP PODS

As part of the 2021 contract negotiations, an agreement was made to review the existing travel group pods for the Lab and Radiology departments and make changes to limit unnecessary travel. A group of Union Members and Management met over several months and we have a fully recommended tentative agreement.

The details of the tentative agreement will be available during the online vote on Wednesday, February 22 @ 7am—5pm. You will receive an email from UFCW 3000 via “SimplyVoting” with your unique login information. All members in good standing are eligible to vote.

TO VOTE ONLINE: Make sure your information is up to date! In order to vote on the changes to Travel Group Pods, make sure your personal email is up to date in our records. If you did not receive this announcement via email update your info at: ufcw3000.org/update-your-information

If you do not receive an email to vote on February 22, 2023, please reach out to Union Rep Rhonda Fisher-Ivie to provide an updated email address @ 206-436-6584.

JOIN THE VOTE INFORMATION MEETING ON ZOOM!
Tuesday, February 21
Drop in between 4pm—6pm
Contact Union Rep Rhonda for meeting details

REMEMBER: It is important to attend this Zoom meeting to review the travel group pods and have your questions answered.

Contract Specialist position at Kaiser Permanente accepting applications

**DEADLINE EXTENDED: 10/7/22

We are excited to announce that the deadline for applications to the KP Contract Specialist position has been extended, and is still open to our Union members! If you are interested in this position, please apply no later than 5pm October 7, 2022.

The Contract Specialist is responsible for contract interpretation and education on both the Local Contracts and National Agreement, as well as building Shop Steward capacity and partnership in the LMP program.

This position is paid by Kaiser Permanente but is directly supervised by the Union. The Contract Specialist will work directly with the current UFCW 3000 Staff Representative as well as Employee and Labor Relations Consultants and LMP Manager.

Learn more about the job summary >>

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As our previous Contract Specialist, Christina Delgado, has been instrumental in the development of many Steward Training Programs as well as answering day to day contract questions. Her contributions have been greatly appreciated and she will be missed!

Read her story here.

Kaiser Pro-Tech & Optical - Online Vote on NEW CONTRACT EXPIRATION DATE!

Kaiser Pro-Tech & Optical - Online Vote on NEW CONTRACT EXPIRATION DATE!

After lengthy negotiations, UFCW and Kaiser have agreed to change the contract expiry date from April 30, 2025 to October 1, 2025. This new expire date lines up with the National Alliance Agreement! This change is fully recommended by members of the Bargaining Team!

The full proposal language will be made available during the online vote on August 30, 2022 from 5am–5pm .

You will receive an email from UFCW 3000 via “SimplyVoting” with your unique login information. All members in good standing are eligible to vote. To vote online make sure your information is up to date!

In order to receive a secure ballot to vote on this contract expiration date change, make sure your personal email is up to date in our records. If you did not receive this announcement via email please visit ufcw21.org/update-your-information to update or scan the QR code with your phone camera ▸

If you do not receive an email to vote on August 30, 2022, please reach out our Union Representative Rhonda Fisher-Ivie at 206-436-6584 to provide an updated email address.

PRE-VOTE INFORMATION MEETING August 29!

Drop in between 9–10am or 7–8pm on August 29. It is important that members attend the Zoom Meeting to review the proposed expiry date change and have your questions answered.

Kaiser Permanente - Apply now for the new Alliance Partnership Representative Role

Click HERE for the KP Alliance Job Description >>

We have been so fortunate to have worked with Ralph Stumbo in his capacity of Alliance Partnership Representative over the last three years.

• Ralph has brought a caring spirit, and an extensive understanding of Group Health and Kaiser Permanente processes to this position.

• He assisted thousands of members in understanding the intent of the language in the contract,

• served on both the Local Bargaining Committee and the National Bargaining Committee for many contracts,

• served in PSP negotiations,

• provided training and done many presentations,

• helped launch UBT’s throughout the region,

• performed Path to Performance evaluations,

• helped implement various initiatives in the National Agreement,

• and continues to serve on countless committees.

Ralph has fulfilled his commitment of three years as APR and will be moving back into his former position as Respiratory Therapist and Pulmonary Function Technician (dual credentials). 

The Alliance Partnership Representative position is now open for all UFCW 3000 KP members. See above for the link to the job description and exciting opportunity to work closely with the National Alliance and KPWA developing and training UBT’s.

Applications must be received no later than end of day Sunday, June 12.

UFCW 3000 Member Story: Ralph Leads by Example!

Ralph Stumbo, UFCW 3000 member and worker at Kaiser Permanente, with his grandkids

#MemberMonday is here and today’s spotlight is on Ralph Stumbo, who is currently an Alliance Partnership Representative at Kaiser Permanente. Ralph has worked at KP (formerly Group Health Cooperative — GHC) for almost 35 years!

Ralph grew up in Federal Way and went to college in Portland. After he graduated, he had the opportunity to return to Washington State and began working at Group Health as a respiratory therapist. Ralph loves working in healthcare and says he works hard because it is so rewarding for him to help patients and his coworkers.

Within a few years of starting at Group Health, Ralph attended training sessions and became a shop steward for his workplace. Through the years, he has been actively involved with contract negotiations and helping to advocate for his coworkers. In fact, Ralph is currently serving as part of the Labor Management Partnership (LMP) and continues to center his patients through that work.

Ralph says that he did not set out with the intention of being a shop steward or any other kind of workplace leader. Rather, he says that his service to others, whether his patients or his coworkers, has brought him tremendous joy — and that joy is what motivates him every day.

“Shortly I will return to the pulmonary lab and once again be giving awesome care to my patients whom I have missed…Whether you work in healthcare, in grocery, food service, retail, etc., it doesn’t matter, you are serving your fellow humans and that is something for which you should be proud!”

Ralph — your generosity, humility, and joyfulness are so inspiring to witness. You are an incredible example of the UFCW 3000 members who step up every day as worker-leaders, advocating for their coworkers and for change in the workplace. Thank you for leading by example!

UFCW 3000 Member Story: Christina Delgado

Christina Delgado, UFCW 3000 member and Pharmacy Tech at Kaiser Permanente

Happy #MemberMonday! This week’s spotlight is on Christina Delgado, who is a Pharmacy Tech at Kaiser Permanente. Christina has been a member of our Union for 35 years, having started her career at Pay N Save and a member of UFCW Local 1001!

One day, a fellow coworker and Pharmacist at her store talked to Christina about working in Pharmacy. Christina’s interest was piqued because she knows just how important getting the right medications can be for people to live healthier lives. Christina decided to attend Pharmacy Tech school and the rest, as they say, is history! She’s now been in Pharmacy for 22 years and prides herself on the quality of care and service that she’s able to provide for her patients.

Christina is a natural workplace leader. In fact, she has been a shop steward for many years and also became a contract specialist about 6 months ago. You can often find Christina making the rounds, meeting new members, and welcoming them to our Union. Christina talks to her coworkers about issues they may have in the workplace with the goal of identifying strong leaders and providing the training needed to resolve issues at a work unit level.

When asked why she’s stepped up as a worker-leader in her unit, Christina said: “It’s critical to have strong leaders in place, in each department, in each unit, making a difference in the clinic and providing a voice for all employees.”

Christina — thank you for all that you do on behalf of your patients and your coworkers & fellow members. We’re so inspired by your leadership, positivity, and hard work!