Kaiser reaches labor agreements with unions. Why Modesto strike is still set for Friday
Kaiser Permanente said it reached a tentative agreement with a pharmacy union early Monday that should avert strike activity this week.
A separate agreement over the weekend with the Alliance of Health Care Unions removed a strike threat in which 32,000 Kaiser employees in Southern California and Oregon had threatened to walk off the job Monday.
Kaiser nurses at 21 hospitals in the Central Valley, Sacramento and Bay Area, including in Modesto and Manteca, still have sympathy strikes scheduled this week in support of a facility engineers union that began a work stoppage Sept. 18.
Kaiser said an agreement for a new three-year labor contract was reached at 1 a.m. Monday with the Guild for Professional Pharmacists. The agreement includes across-the-board wage increases each year and no takeaways for medical and dental coverage. The tentative agreement also maintains retirement benefits including employer-subsidized medical coverage.
The Oakland-based health system has been providing members in the Central Valley with instructions on how to get prescriptions filled in the event of a strike. Kaiser said it’s working to resume full operations at pharmacies as soon as possible.
Kaiser Permanente is still engaged in talks with Local 39 Operating Engineers. Kaiser nurses in Modesto and Manteca have planned to hold a sympathy strike Friday in support of the union that includes building and equipment maintenance employees.
This story was originally published November 15, 2021 at 1:34 PM.
