Kaiser Permanent avoids strike, Reuters has reached an agreement with US health workers

(Reuters) – Union leaders representing 50,000 nurses and other U.S. medical workers reached a temporary agreement with Kaiser Permanente on Saturday to prevent a strike that could disrupt hospital patient care.

Thousands of Kaiser Permanente employees in Oregon, California, Colorado and other states threatened Monday with a plan to create a two-tier payroll system with a lower salary for new hires.

Kaiser and the Alliance of Health Care Unions, which represent 22 local unions, agreed on a four-year contract that includes annual salary increases until 2025, the union said in a statement. The agreement also includes health and retirement benefits and the implementation of a bonus plan. The statement did not include any financial details.

“This agreement means that patients will continue to receive the best care and that Alliance members will have the best jobs,” said Hal Ruddick, the union’s executive director of the union. “This contract protects our patients, provides safe staff and guarantees the fair pay and benefits of all members of the Alliance,” he added.

Earlier, the union said the two-tier wage system would deepen what nurses describe as a workers ’crisis in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kaiser is one of the nation’s largest nonprofit health care and management organizations, with nearly $ 24 billion in revenue in the last quarter.

“This landmark agreement places Kaiser Permanente in a successful future for our more than 12 million members and focused on providing high quality health care to the communities we serve,” said Christian Meisner, senior vice president and chief human resources officer. Kaiser Permanente-n.

The vote on the provisional agreement will take place in the coming weeks and once ratified, the agreement will be retroactive until October 1, 2021.