Last month marked 3 years since the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions made history by staging the largest organized Healthcare strike in US history. That powerful statement prompted Kaiser management to return to the bargaining table and ultimately agree to improved terms, including increases to retiree medical benefits AND a historic 21% total wage increase over the course of the Agreement.
Negotiations for our next National Agreement are right around the corner in 2027, and we need to stay united as a Coalition as we prepare to approach the bargaining table! Aside from the obvious and persistent staffing problem, especially here in KPWA, we are also facing other battles, including:
Outsourcing – Even though we fought for and won strong outsourcing and subcontracting protections in our last contract, Kaiser is still sneakily trying to find ways to hand over our work to contractors and outside vendors.
Automation/AI – Across the healthcare industry, healthcare corporations like Kaiser are finding ways to implement AI and put robots where caregivers used to be.
Consolidation – Departments are getting merged, reception windows are closed, and we are expected to do more with less staff and resources.
Non-Union Facilities – Kaiser is creating facilities like Risant — a non-union “Kaiser-lite” hospital where caregivers do the same work as us for less money and with fewer protections, weakening standards for us here.
Let’s come together as a Coalition as we prepare to bargain our next National Agreement and attain the staffing, pay, and job security that we deserve. We will provide more information as we move into the new year and begin prioritizing our bargaining strategies.
Flu Shots
It’s that season again, and the flu is a real bug this year. Not only does getting vaccinated help protect yourself and those around you, but it also helps us get closer to our PSP Bonus goal for the Flu Vaccination Rate. We want our employees to get vaccinated and be as well protected as our patients. Every single vaccination helps us get closer to meeting our vaccination rate goal of 47.6%, which can equal some extra $$$ when we receive our PSP Bonus payout in March.
KP also announced that beginning on Friday, Oct. 30, masks will be required in all patient care and public spaces inside our medical facilities. This is a reminder that our personal health is at higher risk during these peak periods of the season. Stay safe!
Futuro Health
Did you know that as OPEIU 8 members, we have access to a medical education benefit for our families and friends? Coalition Members have a unique opportunity to build back the workforce by giving friends and family a tuition-free, career pathway program through Futuro Health.
- Futuro Health is a non-profit organization focused on improving the health and wealth of communities by growing the largest network of healthcare workers in the nation.
- It provides tuition-free education opportunities and training, ensuring the healthcare workforce reflects our communities.
- Secures Accredited Education Providers.
- Provides Success Coaching throughout the student journey through graduation.
This is a unique benefit that provides a career pathway for OPEIU Local 8 members’ family and friends to become the next generation of healthcare workers!
After graduating from Futuro Health, you will receive specialized Career Coaching from AlliedUP including:
- Post-program career coaching for graduates.
- Hard and soft-skills mentoring.
- Resume building, applications, and AI-based mock interview tools.
- Job placement assistance to meet the workforce needs of our union employers.
- Constructive career advice, job market insight, and readiness training.
Available career paths include:
For more information about the Futuro Health program, please CLICK HERE for the website, or sign up for a Career Coaching Orientation!
PSP (Performance Sharing Program)
Do you remember that $1,400 bonus we received in March? That was our earned PSP bonus, for hitting two out of four shared goals for KP and the Coalition of KP Unions. We’re currently working towards our goals for 2026 and are aiming for an even BIGGER payout this coming March! But first, a little background…
The Performance Sharing Program (PSP) is part of the 2023 Coalition National Agreement negotiated between Kaiser Permanente and the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions. The program provides a way, through partnership, to continue the transformation of Kaiser Permanente to a high-performing organization by meeting mutually agreed goals and to share that success with employees covered by this agreement.
The specific goals and metrics were negotiated during 2023 National Agreement bargaining and are set for the length of the National Agreement, which ends September 30, 2027. Our shared goals include:
- Attendance
- Controlling high blood pressure
- CAHPS (After-visit Survey)
- Flu vaccination rate
We are currently on track to achieve 2 goals again, like we did last year, but we have potential to earn all four. PSP information is tracked and accessible to Coalition employees which is managed on a PSP Dashboard. The dashboard contains a lot of information and resources, as well as a PSP Scorecard which shows how each region is doing on each goal. To view the PSP Dashboard and monthly scorecard, CLICK HERE.
Misinformation Regarding Bonuses
There has been some incorrect information circulating in our clinic facilities specifically linking Co-Pay collection rates to our bonus. If anyone has heard that our PSP Bonus is in any way tied to clinical Co- Pay collection rates, this is incorrect.
As stated in the PSP information above, our bonus is tied to four specific common goals, and Co-Pay collection is not one of them. Just as your personal daily productivity, volume of patients checked-in, or number of appointments scheduled have ZERO effect on your PSP bonus, neither does Co-Pay collection rates.
National Agreement vs Local Contract
Our Coalition’s National Agreement acts as an addendum to our Local Collective Bargaining
Agreement between OPEIU 8 and KPWA. In any instance where the same type of benefit or language exists in both contracts, the more favorable language is applied. This is the case, for instance, for our remote workers.
We have telecommuting agreements in both the National Agreement and our local contract, and in some regards, the National Agreement has more beneficial language. For example, our National Agreement states that remote workers who need to travel to a physical location shall do so while clocked in, providing travel time. It also requires the employer to provide a 60 day notice to the affected employee and the union when changing someone’s remote worker status to hybrid or on-site, as well as bargain the impact of the change.
Know your rights! Learn your contracts!
| QUESTIONS? CONTACT OPEIU 8 STAFF: Tara Powell at tara@opeiu8.org / (206) 441-8880 ext. 106 Leslie Liddle at leslie@opeiu8.org / (206) 441-8880 ext. 108 Erin Adamson at erin@opeiu8.org / (206) 441-8880 ext. 105 www.opeiu8.org |
Message sent to OPEIU 8 members at Kaiser Permanente Washington on November 10, 2026