Acknowledging tough talks ahead, KP and Alliance leaders held up their successful partnership during the pandemic as a model to meet future challenges during this week’s virtual kickoff session for national bargaining.

The 2-day session began April 20 with presentations by management and union leaders about their priorities for national bargaining.

AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Liz Shuler was one of several speakers who presented the union perspective. “Kaiser Permanente’s success has always gone hand in hand with industry-leading wages and benefits and its talented workforce is the reason it is successful,” said Shuler, noting that the Alliance enjoys the full support of 56 international unions. She predicted that negotiations would set a positive example for the health care industry and provide a path of economic opportunity for represented workers around the country.

Alliance Executive Director Hal Ruddick, joined by union leaders, described the losses, trauma, and bravery of union members during the pandemic.  While he expressed optimism about the negotiations, Ruddick vowed that the Alliance would press for a national agreement that preserves the best jobs and best care.

The management perspective was delivered jointly by Chris Grant, executive vice president and chief operating officer for The Permanente Federation; and Janet Liang, executive vice president, group president and chief operating officer in charge of care delivery for Kaiser Foundation Health Plan and Hospitals.

Liang and Grant, noting greater competition and disruption caused by COVID-19, urged management and labor to work together to increase innovation, improve flexibility, and support sustainable wages and benefits. Collectively, those actions will enable KP to continue providing high-quality care and service to our members, patients, and communities.

On the second day, negotiators received training in interest-based bargaining, which calls for both parties to identify common issues of concern and work collaboratively to achieve mutually beneficial solutions.

This round of bargaining marks the second time that KP and the Alliance of Health Care Unions have negotiated a national contract since the Alliance, which comprises 22 local unions, formed in 2018. The current national agreement expires September 30, 2021.

Bargaining sessions are scheduled to run through September and will involve more than 100 management and labor representatives from across the organization.

The next session is scheduled for June 23, when members of the Common Issues Committee (CIC) – the full negotiating team – will meet virtually to hear progress from subcommittees tasked with addressing this year’s bargaining topics. For regular updates, visit bargaining2021.org.

As we negotiate a new national agreement between Kaiser Permanente and the Alliance of Health Care Unions, we ask that you respect the bargaining process by following these social media guidelines. Doing so will help ensure the spirit and integrity of our interest-based negotiations.

• DO adhere to the spirit of partnership in your social media posts.
• DON’T reveal confidential information – including information shared during caucus meetings, private communications, or any other sensitive details.
• DO express your own opinion. Make clear that you’re expressing your personal views. The freedom to speak up and share ideas without fear of retaliation is an important part of the interest-based bargaining process. When engaging on social media, we ask you to refrain from attacking others, quoting individuals by name, or commenting on specific discussions. We all must model the spirit of partnership by working together to achieve creative, mutually beneficial solutions that help us maintain respectful and constructive relationships.
• DO share links from our new bargaining website,  bargaining2021.org.
• DO follow and share social posts from LMP, the Alliance and affiliate unions .

Sample Social Media Posts

Need inspiration? Here are examples of social media posts that you can use:

• “Honored to participate in 2021 National Bargaining between @AboutKP and @AHCunions. @LMPtalk. For updates, visit bargaining2021.org.”

• “Proud to represent [union name] during 2021 National Bargaining between @AboutKP and @AHCunions. #UnionStrong @LMPtalk.”

Cyber safety

Cyber hacks and threats are common. Protect yourself online by following these common-sense cyber safety tips:

• Limit the personal and professional information you share.
• Choose strong passwords.
• Practice safe browsing.
• Make sure your Internet connection is secure.
• Do not download or click on suspicious content.

Contact Information

Have questions or need more information about our social media guidelines? Please email your queries to LMPComms [at] lmpartnership.org.

General

What is the Labor Management Partnership?

The Labor Management Partnership (LMP) is an operational strategy shared by Kaiser Permanente and two groups of Partnership unions, the Alliance of Health Care Unions and the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions. The Partnership covers a total of 33 union locals representing more than 132,000 Kaiser Permanente workers.

What unions are in the Alliance of Health Care Unions?

For a complete list of Alliance unions, please visit the Alliance website.

Where can I find past National Agreements?

Past national agreements can be found on the LMP website.

• Negotiations in 2018 resulted in the 2018 KP-Alliance National Agreement, which runs through Sept. 30, 2021.

• In 2019, bargaining led to the 2019-KP Coalition National Agreement, which expires Sept. 30, 2023.

Bargaining participants

What is the Common Issues Committee?

The Common Issues Committee (CIC) is the full bargaining team that agrees on proposals from smaller subgroups during national negotiations between the Partnership unions and Kaiser Permanente. The number of people on the CIC fluctuates from one bargaining year to the next

Who are the observers/alternates?

The observers/alternates are Kaiser Permanente employees who belong to a Partnership union. The observers/alternates are selected by and represent their local union.

What is the role of the observers/alternates in bargaining?

Observers/alternates are there to observe, learn about the process and share information with other co-workers as appropriate. In the past, observers/alternates have attended meetings of the subgroups and Common Issues Committee and participated in labor caucuses during bargaining sessions.

What is collective bargaining?

Employers and unions use collective bargaining to reach agreement on issues ranging from wages and health benefits to hours and working conditions. The result is a legally binding contract that clearly describes these conditions of employment.

What is interest-based bargaining?

A negotiation strategy approach that uses interest-based problem solving to negotiate union contracts. Through interest-based bargaining, the parties collaborate to address issues in the workplace with the aim of achieving creative, mutually beneficial solutions while maintaining a respectful and constructive relationship.

Why use interest-based bargaining?

Interest-based bargaining:

•    allows full discussion of difficult or complex issues
•    promotes creative solutions
•    reduces confrontation
•    creates ownership in and support of the results
•    builds closer working relationships

What is the difference between a position and an interest?

How do you know when a group has reached consensus?

When everyone has been heard, everyone understands the solution, everyone can live with the solution, and everyone will actively support the solution.

Note: These frequently asked questions should be informative and useful to a wide range of visitors to this website. Questions that are specific to a certain situation should be referred to the appropriate union or management official for a response.

The Common Issues Committee (CIC), the full bargaining team that negotiates national agreements, is scheduled to meet for 5 separate sessions between April and September.  Most sessions will be conducted virtually via videoconferencing, due to ongoing restrictions associated with COVID-19.  However, in-person meetings are planned for August and September.

Four subcommittees, made up of representatives chosen by KP and union leaders, will examine issues of importance to labor and management.  This year, those topics include problem and dispute resolution; staffing, backfill, and the use of travelers; patient and worker safety; and racial justice.

Each subcommittee is led by a management and union representative. Instead of taking hardline positions, subcommittee members stake out common interests. During the course of bargaining, assisted by outside facilitators, they identify interests and develop options.

Subcommittees will report on their progress at key “check-in” meetings with the Common Issues Committee (CIC) in June and August.

The four subcommittees and their co-leads are:

Problem and Dispute Resolution

• Management co-lead: Eric Ruperto
• Alliance co-lead: Julie Kwiek 

Staffing, Backfill and Travelers

• Management co-leads: Aileen Oh and Jerry Spicer
• Alliance co-leads: Jodi Barschow and Peter Sidhu

Patient & Worker Safety

• Management co-lead: Maria Dee
• Alliance co-lead: Charmaine Morales 

Racial Justice

• Management co-lead: Laura Long
• Alliance co-lead: Sandra Flores

Kaiser Permanente and the Alliance of Health Care Unions kicked off national bargaining on April 20 under a streamlined virtual format driven in part by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bargaining sessions are scheduled to run through September and will involve more than 100 management and labor representatives from across the organization. This marks the second time that KP and the Alliance have negotiated a national contract since the Alliance, which comprises 22 local unions, formed in 2018. The current national agreement expires September 30, 2021.

A different bargaining experience

Like so much else during the pandemic, this bargaining year differs significantly from the past. Most sessions will be held virtually, with in-person meetings scheduled for late August and September.

In addition, the number of bargaining sessions has been reduced from 30 sessions in 2018 to 14 for 2021. During those sessions, subject matter experts chosen by management and labor will form subcommittees to address specific topic areas. This year, those topics include problem and dispute resolution; staffing, backfill, and the use of travelers; patient and worker safety; and racial justice.

Hal Ruddick, executive director of the Alliance, said the Labor Management Partnership is more important than ever as both parties seek new ways to work together in a difficult health care environment.

“The pandemic has been difficult for all of us, especially our frontline health care workers,” said Ruddick. “We’re looking forward to upholding our partnership commitment to the best jobs and the best performance to prepare for future challenges.”

Interest-based bargaining

The Alliance represents almost 50,000 workers enterprisewide, nearly half of whom are represented by United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals. Under the 2018 Labor Management Partnership Agreement, KP and the Alliance agreed to work collaboratively to improve the quality of care for members and communities and help KP lead the market in health care — while preserving industry-leading benefits and working conditions for employees.

Steve Shields, senior vice president of National Labor Relations and Office of Labor Management Partnership, said he looks forward to negotiating a new agreement with the Alliance.

“I’m excited to be involved in national bargaining this year and to use an interest-based process that has served Kaiser Permanente and its labor partners so well over the years,” said Shields.

Unlike traditional bargaining where each side takes an adversarial position, interest-based bargaining calls for the parties to identify common issues of concern and work collaboratively to achieve mutually beneficial solutions. The process helps labor and management maintain a respectful and constructive relationship while creating a deeper commitment to the final agreement.

Check out this immersive, multimedia online version of Hank magazine, powered by Issuu. 

Check out this immersive, multimedia online version of Hank magazine, powered by Issuu. 

What does it mean to work in partnership?

It’s a joint commitment to collaborate, enshrined in the Labor Management Partnership’s national agreements.

It’s employees, managers, physicians and dentists building on common interests to make decisions and solve problems.

It’s Kaiser Permanente and the Partnership unions finding creative, mutually beneficial solutions that result in improved care, service and affordability.

There's never been a better time than right now to shine a fresh spotlight on the basics — the team-tested tools and practices fundamental to a strong partnership, such as the Rapid Improvement Model, consensus decision making and interest-based problem solving.

Whether you’re new to partnership or well-versed in its ways, use these performance improvement tools to identify issues, test changes, solve problems, make decisions, deliver better care and service, and enhance your work life.

LMP tools are designed to help you work together when things are going well — and bridge differences when the going gets tough. This approach addresses the needs of union members and helps the organization improve performance — which ultimately benefits Kaiser Permanente’s patients, members and communities.