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.

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.

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