For Immediate Release: UNITE HERE Local 5 members at Kaiser Permanente voted to ratify a new contract with 97% YES votes
UNITEHERE! Local 5
For Immediate Release for December 6, 2021
Media Contact:
Bryant de Venecia
Cell Phone: (808) 546-0024
UNITE HERE Local 5 members at Kaiser Permanente voted to ratify a new contract with 97% YES votes
After averting a potentially historic strike, nearly 2,000 Hawaii health care workers ratified a new contract
(Hawaii) –Nearly 2,000 UNITE HERE Local 5 members ratified a new four-year agreement with Kaiser Permanente, securing industry-leading wages and benefits, as well as staffing improvements. Workers voted overwhelmingly, with 97% “Yes” votes.
Last November 13, 2021, Kaiser Permanente and the Alliance of Health Care Unions reached tentative agreement on a four-year contract, covering nearly 50,000 Kaiser Permanente health care employees in 22 local unions—including UNITE HERE Local 5. The new contract includes new staffing language to improve employee workloads and patient care, annual wage increases, and career development and advancement opportunities. Today’s contract ratification ensures Kaiser Permanente patients continue to receive safe, high-quality care and service; maintain Alliance union members’ industry-leading wages and benefits; and ensure Kaiser Permanente remains affordable for its members in the future.
Kori Kim from Kaiser Permanente Patient Financial Services shared, “I’m happy that we settled this great contract. Stopping Kaiser’s two-tier wage proposal was important to me because it impacts us directly as well as future employees. I’m so moved witnessing this unity and solidarity—the committee worked so hard to reach all members and all Local 5 stood together to do the strike vote and to ratify a new contract. This victory is well-deserved!”
The new contract includes:
- Wage increases: Guaranteed across-the-board wage increases each year through 2025 in every region for all Alliance-represented employees.
- Retirement benefits: The Agreement maintains generous retirement income benefits and employer-subsidized retiree medical.
- Bonus opportunities: Introduction of the Alliance Bonus Plan, which provides annual payouts for achieving new mutually-agreed-upon objectives to address affordability.
- New safe staffing and workload language: Will ensure every Kaiser Permanente patient receives extraordinary care every time and in every place.
- Opportunities for career growth: Alliance-represented employees will continue to have excellent career development and advancement opportunities.
On top of the victories in our national contract, Local 5 won significant reductions on health care costs for Hawaii members. Effective January 1, 2022, Local 5 members at Kaiser Permanente will have the advantage of reduced cost for co-pays, prescription charges, out-of-pocket maximums, and more.
The new 4-year collective bargaining agreement is effective November 1, 2021. UNITE HERE Local 5 represents roughly 2,000 workers at Kaiser Permanente. Local 5 is a part of the Alliance of Health Care Unions, which represents over 50,000 members across hundreds of job classifications in nearly every geographic area where Kaiser Permanente has a presence.
Local 5 represents approximately 12,000 workers throughout Hawaii who work in the hospitality, health care and food service industries and is an affiliate of UNITE HERE, an international union that represents over 250,000 workers throughout the U.S. and Canada. For more information, visit www.unitehere5.org.
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