Unions across six states ratified new four-year agreements with Kaiser Permanente in December after the health care giant backed off demands for a two-tier system that would have given worse health benefits to new hires.
The agreements specify annual raises of 3%, 3%, 2%, and 2%, with the first raise retroactive to Oct. 1, 2021. Kaiser will also pay 2% lump sum bonuses in years three and four of the contracts. Most other terms remained the same, except that underpaid workers in the interior of Southern California will get somewhat higher raises, and Kaiser will contribute an additional $15 million to a tuition fund for workers to pursue new certifications.
The agreements cover about 50,000 workers in Oregon, California, Washington, Hawaii, Colorado and Georgia who bargain together as the Alliance of Health Care Unions. The agreement in Oregon and Washington covers members of Oregon Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals (OFNHP) and UFCW Local 21. Kaiser Northwest employees covered by SEIU Local 49 and UFCW Local 555 are under separate agreements.
The new agreements run through Sept. 30, 2025.
