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A special message to our Healthcare Professionals:

June 26, 2019

To our valued Audiologists, Speech Pathologists, Dietitians, and Health Educators,

The contract proposal that is currently out to you for consideration is as important to us as it is to you. We’ve been at the Bargaining Table for almost one full year. Our most recent discussions have yielded what we consider significant progress to address your concerns. We are disappointed by the recommendation of your union for you to reject the proposal which our bargaining teams did together and as a result, postpone the improvements that need to be made immediately.

As we shared in our message to you in early June, we hear your concerns and we’re responding to them. Your bargaining team colleagues shared your desire for inclusion in a collaborative process with management to design the future model of care. They also helped us understand your perspective on equity in rewards and recognition, and the desire to improve care for our members.

We believe the current offer under consideration addresses most of your personal and professional interests and will relieve many of your immediate concerns and daily challenges. But if we are to move forward on addressing these critical issues, we need to have a contract.

We urge you to vote in favor of ratification of the proposal, so we can all move forward.

For your reference, we’ve included information that highlights the benefits of our offer. You also can view this information online at http://www.dev-kpscalfyi.org.php56-11.lan3-1.websitetestlink.com/home/.

Thank you for your dedication to our patients and the work you do every day. Together, we will work to improve health care, make Kaiser Permanente the employer of choice for our healthcare professionals, and develop a model that can benefit the entire nation.

Sincerely,

Julie Miller-Phipps president, Southern California Region Kaiser Foundation Health Plan and Hospitals

Annie Russell, RN, MSN, MBA chief operating officer, Southern California Permanente Medical Group

Summary of Kaiser Permanente key Contract Proposals for the Healthcare Professionals Unit (*Items listed are subject to bargaining)

Across the Board Wage Increases and lump sum payments*

• Effective retroactively to October 7, 2018, an increase of 3%.
• Effective October 6, 2019, an increase of 2% and a 1.5% lump sum bonus for full- and part-time active employees.
• Effective October 5, 2020, an increase of 2% and a 1.5% lump sum bonus for full- and part-time active employees.

Annual Performance Sharing Bonus of up to $3,000*

A Ratification Bonus of 1% will be paid to full- and part-time active employees employed on the date the new contract is ratified.

No changes to Active Medical and Pension Programs

Annual dental coverage*
Increased to a maximum of $1,500

Alternate Mental Health*
Effective January 1, 2020, the Alternate Mental Health coverage will cover 80% of reasonable and customary charges, inclusive of both inpatient and outpatient, with no maximum number of visits.

Increased tuition reimbursement to $3,000/year with $750 of the total usable for travel which brings this benefit on par with other roles.

Wage Differential Enhancements*
Differential increases for Evening and Night Shifts, and Bilingual Pay.

Tax Deferred Retirement Savings*
Effective January 1, 2021, Kaiser Permanente will match 100% of an eligible employee’s contribution to his/her EDC plan, up to three percent (3%) of the employee’s eligible compensation. Effective January 1, 2021, Employees working at Kaiser Permanente on December 31 of the applicable year who contribute throughout that year at least 2% of their eligible compensation, or 3% of eligible compensation if they participate in the EDC plan, will receive the applicable match from Kaiser Permanente on the total of his/her eligible compensation.

Retiree Medical Health Reimbursement Account*
Increased to $2,000 per year of service.

* An asterisk means this item is subject to bargaining. 

Reaching an Agreement

We’ve negotiated with NUHW for more than a year and at our Thursday, September 5 bargaining session, we reiterated our excellent offer to the NUHW bargaining team as our “last, best, and final” proposal — with a significant difference. We added an important element that we hope reflects our interest to move forward with you. If the proposal is accepted by September 25, 2019, Kaiser Permanente will make wage increases in our proposal retroactive to the pay period closest to September 30, 2018, the date of the last contract’s expiration. This means the 3% salary increase for the first year of the agreement will go into effect during the pay period closest to September 30, 2018. In each of years 2 and 3 you’ll receive an increase of 2% to the base and a 1.5% cash payment. If this offer is not accepted, the annual wage increases will become effective as of the first full pay period to begin after ratification of the agreement which is the more traditional approach to timing.

Please see the information below for details about the other key features of our offer. It’s our hope that after your review, you’ll conclude that these terms will provide you with highly attractive wages and benefits and will strengthen Kaiser Permanente’s ability to be the best place in health care to work and to receive care.

Contract Proposal Summary
(*Items listed are subject to bargaining)

(*Items listed are subject to bargaining)

Your Personal Economics

Annual Performance Sharing Bonus of up to $3,000* A Ratification Bonus of 1% will be paid to full- and part-time active employees employed on the date the new contract is ratified. No changes to Active Medical and Pension Programs Annual dental coverage* Increased to a maximum of $1,500 Alternate Mental Health* Effective January 1, 2020, the Alternate Mental Health coverage will cover 80% of reasonable and customary charges, inclusive of both inpatient and outpatient, with no maximum number of visits. Increased tuition reimbursement to $3,000/year with $750 of the total usable for travel which brings this benefit on par with other roles. Wage Differential Enhancements* Differential increases for Evening and Night Shifts, and Bilingual Pay. Tax Deferred Retirement Savings* Effective January 1, 2021, Kaiser Permanente will match 100% of an eligible employee’s contribution to his/her EDC plan, up to three percent (3%) of the employee’s eligible compensation. Effective January 1, 2021, Employees working at Kaiser Permanente on December 31 of the applicable year who contribute throughout that year at least 2% of their eligible compensation, or 3% of eligible compensation if they participate in the EDC plan, will receive the applicable match from Kaiser Permanente on the total of his/her eligible compensation. Retiree Medical Health Reimbursement Account* Increased to $2,000 per year of service.

A special message to our Healthcare Professionals:

June 26, 2019

To our valued Audiologists, Speech Pathologists, Dietitians, and Health Educators,

The contract proposal that is currently out to you for consideration is as important to us as it is to you. We’ve been at the Bargaining Table for almost one full year. Our most recent discussions have yielded what we consider significant progress to address your concerns. We are disappointed by the recommendation of your union for you to reject the proposal which our bargaining teams did together and as a result, postpone the improvements that need to be made immediately.

As we shared in our message to you in early June, we hear your concerns and we’re responding to them. Your bargaining team colleagues shared your desire for inclusion in a collaborative process with management to design the future model of care. They also helped us understand your perspective on equity in rewards and recognition, and the desire to improve care for our members.

We believe the current offer under consideration addresses most of your personal and professional interests and will relieve many of your immediate concerns and daily challenges. But if we are to move forward on addressing these critical issues, we need to have a contract.

We urge you to vote in favor of ratification of the proposal, so we can all move forward.

For your reference, we’ve included information that highlights the benefits of our offer. You also can view this information online at http://www.dev-kpscalfyi.org.php56-11.lan3-1.websitetestlink.com/home/.

Thank you for your dedication to our patients and the work you do every day. Together, we will work to improve health care, make Kaiser Permanente the employer of choice for our healthcare professionals, and develop a model that can benefit the entire nation.

Sincerely,

Julie Miller-Phipps president, Southern California Region Kaiser Foundation Health Plan and Hospitals

Annie Russell, RN, MSN, MBA chief operating officer, Southern California Permanente Medical Group

Summary of Kaiser Permanente key Contract Proposals for the Healthcare Professionals Unit (*Items listed are subject to bargaining)

Across the Board Wage Increases and lump sum payments*

• Effective retroactively to October 7, 2018, an increase of 3%.
• Effective October 6, 2019, an increase of 2% and a 1.5% lump sum bonus for full- and part-time active employees.
• Effective October 5, 2020, an increase of 2% and a 1.5% lump sum bonus for full- and part-time active employees.

Annual Performance Sharing Bonus of up to $3,000*

A Ratification Bonus of 1% will be paid to full- and part-time active employees employed on the date the new contract is ratified.

No changes to Active Medical and Pension Programs

Annual dental coverage*
Increased to a maximum of $1,500

Alternate Mental Health*
Effective January 1, 2020, the Alternate Mental Health coverage will cover 80% of reasonable and customary charges, inclusive of both inpatient and outpatient, with no maximum number of visits.

Increased tuition reimbursement to $3,000/year with $750 of the total usable for travel which brings this benefit on par with other roles.

Wage Differential Enhancements*
Differential increases for Evening and Night Shifts, and Bilingual Pay.

Tax Deferred Retirement Savings*
Effective January 1, 2021, Kaiser Permanente will match 100% of an eligible employee’s contribution to his/her EDC plan, up to three percent (3%) of the employee’s eligible compensation. Effective January 1, 2021, Employees working at Kaiser Permanente on December 31 of the applicable year who contribute throughout that year at least 2% of their eligible compensation, or 3% of eligible compensation if they participate in the EDC plan, will receive the applicable match from Kaiser Permanente on the total of his/her eligible compensation.

Retiree Medical Health Reimbursement Account*
Increased to $2,000 per year of service.

* An asterisk means this item is subject to bargaining.