A message from the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions

The Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions released the following message to its 80,000-plus union members on March 29, 2018:

Kaiser Permanente workers: Message from UNITE HERE Local 5 and Hawaii Nurses’ Association/OPEIU Local 50

Union leaders, bargaining team members and observers of the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions arrived Monday night and yesterday morning in Oakland to begin negotiations with Kaiser Permanente management for a new National Agreement. Despite an unexpected announcement on March 26 by some of the member unions that they are withdrawing from the Coalition, we are proceeding forward.

The remaining unions of the Coalition – Locals of SEIU, OPEIU, IFPTE and UNITE HERE representing more than two-thirds of the total health care workers – clarified that nothing has changed regarding the status and rights of the Coalition, and they expect negotiations to proceed.

This is will not affect the partnership in Hawaii between the Hawaii Nurses’ Association/OPEIU Local 50 and UNITE HERE Local 5. Both unions remain firmly united on the local and national level and members of both unions will retain all the rights, benefits and privileges of the National Agreement. Both unions are together requesting local bargaining and intend to bargain until an agreement is reached.

We will issue updates as this unfolds.

For Kyo-Ya Local 5 members: Know your Rights

Royal Hawaiian concierges have gone on strike as of 3am this morning. Their strike will end at 6pm tonight. Local 5 has approved their picket line. Kyo-Ya Local 5 members are urged to honor the line and not work today.

The most important thing for you to know is: you are protected if you choose to respect their line. You are protected if you do not cross their picket line. Our contract, section 9.2, allows you to respect a lawful picket line approved by the Union.

Frequently Asked Questions:

 

What do I do if I come to work and see a picket line approved by the Union?
You have a right to respect the picket line and, as with any approved picket line, we recommend that you do not cross. You do not have to notify your boss that you are honoring it. Under your contract, you can’t picket or strike but you can only respect the concierge’s picket line by not crossing. You can enjoy the day off.

What if I am already inside and started working and I hear that a strike line has gone up outside? What should I do?You should finish your shift. The CBA requires that the Employer provide employees “reasonable notice of any changes in the schedule and the Union is promptly notified by management of the reason for the change in schedule.” The Employer must consider your prior commitments so, if asked to stay overtime, you should make those known to your manager.

What if I am home and find out that a strike line is at the hotel, what should I do? If you know there is a union-approved picket line, you do not have to call in or come in. Report to your next scheduled shift after the strike ends. If you are on-call, you do not have to accept a shift and you may respect the line.

How will we get know when the strike begins and ends? Only the concierges know if and when a strike will happen. When the Union is notified, we will send a text blast to all those who are on our plugged in phone list. To get on the text blast list, see your organizer. You can also call your committee member for updates or the Local 5 office at 941-2141. For some, you will know when you arrive and see a line.

Has anything like this happened before? What was the result? Yes, in 2004 a group of Kyo-ya hotel workers from San Francisco that work at the Palace Hotel set up a picket line outside the Sheraton Waikiki and Royal Hawaiian Hotel. The Union approved this picket line and over 90% of the workers at both hotels respected it. It was one of our most powerful actions and showed great unity that helped us win the best contract we ever won in 2006.

Why does this matter to me?
The best way to secure high standards of wages, benefits and job security is to have a Union. Employers often resist Union growth because they want to limit our power. If we grow, we get stronger and we win more. A group of concierges approached the Union in August 2017 and then met with the company in October 2017 to ask for a fair process to join the Union. On October 26, 2017 they were notified that they would be subcontracted. We stand behind the concierge workers because they will make us stronger and they will help us win a new contract. By respecting the line, we send a very powerful message to the company that Union and Non-Union are united to fight subcontracting, and that we will keep fighting until we win.

Welcome to the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions & our Labor Management Partnership

UNITE HERE! Local 5 has been accepted into the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions and subsequently into The Labor Management Partnership (LMP). LMP is better way of working, based on mutual respect, joint accountability and common goals. In most cases, this has led to measurable improvements in care and service, job security, Coalition union job growth, and region-based industry-leading wages and benefits.

The building blocks of our successful partnership include:

  • Employment and Income Security Agreement, which provides for retraining and job opportunities for displaced workers
  • National Agreement, negotiated in solidarity with 34 Coalition local unions, which goes beyond wages and benefits and creates a true voice for workers and better processes for service, quality, organizational change, and safety
  • Joint trust fund organized under the Labor Management Cooperation Act of 1978 for specific partnership purposes to create and sustain frontline employee skills and program support

Your Nine-Cent Investment

Under the National Agreement, the LMP trust is funded approximately half by management and half through a nine-cent per hour wage diversion of Coalition union-represented employees. That works out to $7 per pay period. The Union Coalition agreed to joint funding of the trust fund so our unions have a full voice in the use of these funds. In Hawaii, it was ratified in our 2015 contract, but could not be implemented until we became participants in the LMP.

As of Jan 19, your paycheck will automatically show an adjustment of 9 cents per hour in your wage rate, reflecting the wage diversion for the trust. These funds support learning, communications, metrics, and regional resources for your teams. Some examples of what the trust provides for union employees like you:

  • dedicated staff to support your voice and your contributions to your front-line unit-based teams (UBTs): Hawaii-based staff will help your teams learn to work together and perform better
  • partnership training, employee health, safety and other programs: Training programs include LMP Orientation, UBT Member, Interest-based Problem Solving, Root Cause Analysis (safety), among many more
  • leadership and development opportunities for union members to receive paid time to work on partnership activities
  • protection afforded by the Employment and Income Security Agreement, joint problem-solving, issue resolution processes, and many other partnership benefits
  • support for union member participation in Coalition and Kaiser Permanente conferences and events:
    • Union conferences include the annual Union Delegate Conference and the Frontline Skills Development Institute.
    • Industry conferences include the Institute for Healthcare Improvement.
    • Kaiser Permanente events include the Diversity and Inclusion Conference and the Quality Conference.

PDF flyer of this announcement.

Sheraton Princess Kaiulani bell clerk gets $15,000 in mediation

Sheraton Princess Kaiulani terminated bell clerk Hiromi. The Union filed a grievance with the help of her coworker Godfrey Maeshiro. The Union brought the case to mediation, and the employer agreed to pay Hiromi $15,000 and change her termination to a resignation.

Fight Subcontracting: Button-up at Kyo-ya Waikiki hotels

In the last year, Kyo-ya/Marriott has done the following:

We must deal with these clear violations. The best way to deal with it is with the combined power of our membership. We cannot let subcontracting spread like a cancer. It is difficult to raise a family and find stability living in Hawaii, when we build a standard that allows us to support the ones we love, we must do everything we can to protect that standard. It is time for all Local 5 members to show strength and unity.

“It is very important that Local 5 members band together in unity to fight subcontracting. This is a great way to show we are getting ready for our contract in 2018”, says Evelyn Barnatia, Sheraton Waikiki Housekeeping.

“We must send a strong message to our employers that we will not shrink from defending our working family and our jobs. It may be the concierges today and us next. Everyone is important, everyone has value. The concierges want to join our Union, let’s fight for them”, says Jean Teo-Gibney, Royal Hawaiian Front Desk.

“When we grow our Union we all benefit. We cannot afford non-union standards bringing us down. Our whole hotel should be Union”, says Mike Kirby, Westin Moana Beach Bar.

Union Difference: Medical Benefits

Group Cost for family medical
Kyo-ya (non-union) (PPP) $ 381.40 per month, $190.70 per pay check
Pleasant Holidays (Kyo-ya concierge transfer) (PPP) $767.00 per month, $383.50 per pay check
Local 5 (Union) $0 per month, $0 per pay check