Kaiser Local 5 members to go on 6-day strike

Kaiser lab assistant Gerald Penaflor was on Hawaii Public Radio to talk about our upcoming strike for our patients and for our future generations. If you missed it, you can listen to it here: http://hpr2.org/post/kaiser-workers-strike-degrees-narrativity-tax-bills-pedestrian-safety

Kaiser lab assistant Gerald Penaflor was on Hawaii Public Radio to talk about our upcoming strike for our patients and for our future generations. If you missed it, you can listen to it here.

Last week, Kaiser Local 5 members voted yes by 88% to go on strike. We officially gave notice to Kaiser Permanente that we will be going on strike for 6 days from Monday, February 2, 12:01am through Saturday, February 7 12:00 midnight.

We have been negotiating a contract for 2 ½ years. Over the last few years, we organized four SWATA’s (Stop Work and Take Action) to protest the negative changes that Kaiser has been making, like urgent care clinic closures and mass layoffs. These changes hurt our patients and impact our ability to care for our patients.

We have been negotiating with Kaiser Permanente, who gave us their last, best and final offer in January 2014 despite continuing to meet with us until as late as October 2014:

  • Kaiser has proposed wage increases of 2% the first year, 1% the second year, and 1% for the third year. This is the lowest wage increase that Kaiser has proposed to any of its other unions, both here in Hawaii and on the mainland.
  • Kaiser also wants to eliminate guaranteed pensions for new employees. If Kaiser succeeds in eliminating pensions for new employees, what’s to stop Kaiser from going after the pensions of current employees next?
  • Kaiser has also refused to pay full retroactive pay. Instead, they want to give “eligible” employees a $600 bonus. Most employees would receive much more than $600 if they were paid full retro.

With $3.1 billion in profits in the last 9 months, Kaiser can afford to give us the contract we deserve. We deserve better. Our patients deserve better.

Kaiser has left us no choice but to strike. Let’s stand up for what’s right. Let’s stand up for our patients and the community.

Check your home mailboxes in the next few days. Members were mailed a letter and a FAQ. Note that there is a correction to the FAQ: We will be going on strike for 6 days from Monday, February 2, 12:01am through Saturday, February 7, 12:00 midnight.