Labor-Management Partnership Effectiveness subgroup leaders at a recent Alliance national bargaining session in Los Angeles.
Kaiser Permanente and Alliance navigate key issues
Kaiser Permanente and the Alliance of Health Care Unions met July 15 to 17 in Los Angeles to continue negotiating a new national agreement. The current national agreement expires September 30, 2025.
During the session, Kaiser Permanente provided economic counterproposals that included across-the-board wage increases. Alliance leaders are reviewing KP’s offer.
Kaiser Permanente and Alliance representatives also are negotiating local contracts in each market. Bargaining teams are addressing issues such as operational concerns, seniority, wage scales, and shift differentials.
During the session, Kaiser Permanente and Alliance leaders addressed concerns about the progress of local bargaining.
To help advance local bargaining, management and labor leaders affirmed their commitment to interest-based bargaining, sharing information, and supporting local bargaining teams. They set an expectation for sharing progress at the August 5 to 7 session.
Subgroup updates
The 3 bargaining subgroups continued to refine their recommendations for the next session in August around these key priorities:
AI (artificial intelligence) and technology
Staffing and patient care
Labor-management partnership effectiveness
The AI and Technology subgroup identified common interests around 4 deliverables outlined in its charter. The group brainstormed potential solutions that will be refined and brought to the Common Issues Committee – the full bargaining team -- for discussion and adoption in August. The goal of the subgroup is to develop guidelines for partnering on the use of AI and emerging technologies. The scope includes training employees in the use of new technologies and engaging around its uses and risks.
The Staffing and Patient Care subgroup is tasked with developing recommendations to improve staffing and patient care practices. During the session, subgroup members identified common interests and began exploring options related to staffing, backfill, the joint staffing process, and Alliance staffing committees. The aim is to develop solutions that address key interests of both parties to be presented to the bargaining team for consideration.
Spotlight: Partnership effectiveness
The Partnership Effectiveness subgroup is identifying opportunities to improve how our Labor Management Partnership functions in the following areas:
- UBTs (unit-based teams) — natural work groups of frontline employees, managers, and physicians who work together to improve patient care, business performance, and employee experiences
- Labor Management Partnership training
- “Just Culture” — a strategy that supports speaking up and reporting mistakes and near misses; creating an environment where teams can learn and improve together, systems can be improved, and patients can be kept safe from harm
The subgroup’s goals are to:
- Recommend a process for measuring the LMP’s effectiveness above the unit-based team level
- Reinvigorate UBTs and make it easier for all teams to replicate successful UBT projects and high performance
- Find ways to ensure employees and managers receive timely and effective trainings that provide the knowledge and skills to partner
- Develop strategies for advancing Just Culture
What’s next
The next national bargaining session is scheduled for August 5 to 7 in Portland, Oregon. At that session, all subgroups will present their recommendations to the full bargaining team.
Kaiser Permanente and the Alliance are part of the Labor Management Partnership, the largest and longest-running partnership of its kind in the United States.