Kaiser Permanente, workers reach tentative contract plan

Kaiser Permanente and unions representing 105,000 health care workers across the United States have reached a tentative labor agreement.

A joint statement released Monday by Kaiser Permanente and the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions praised the three-year contract, which would cover registered nurses, pharmacists, and maintenance and service workers. They say the pact includes 2 percent to 4 percent wage increases each year depending on the region.

The tentative agreement, reached Saturday, also includes better dental coverage, life insurance and tuition reimbursement, among other benefits.

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The plan has to be ratified by the 28 local unions this summer and Kaiser Permanente leadership. It would cover 81,000 workers in California; 8,500 in Oregon and Washington; 5,000 in Colorado; 5,500 in Maryland, Washington, D.C., and northern Virginia; 1,800 in Georgia; and 800 in Hawaii.

Hal Ruddick, executive director of the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions, said in a statement that the “contract is better than ever.”

“Partnership pays off for workers, consumers and mission-driven organizations like Kaiser Permanente,” he said.