Check out the latest development in California.
Workers at Kaiser Permanente are getting increasingly angry about the HMO’s plans to
lay off more than 1,000 workers. NUHW is
blasting the layoffs, pointing out
that Kaiser has pocketed $8.2 billion in profits since 2009 and is giving
massive pay increases to Kaiser's fatcat execs.
Meanwhile... Dave Regan and his partnership
pals are getting nervous about the angry Kaiser workers.
What to do?
Regan and Co. are beating a hasty retreat from the layoff deal that THEY secretly negotiated with Kaiser, without doing anything that would actually stop the layoffs!
Today, UNAC -- an AFSCME local that represents
RNs and professionals in Southern California -- sent an email to its membership announcing that UNAC is “withdrawing
from partnership activities” until the problem is resolved.
Sounds dramatic, right? So what does it actually mean?
As far as Tasty can tell, it means that UNAC's leaders will not participate (err... for the time being) in the all-expenses-paid
junkets at the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel and Spa. No more flashmobs! No more dance-offs!
Kaiser must be quaking in their boots at the partnership unions' carefully choreographed displays of fake outrage! And guess what? SEIU-UHW's fake protests are even more lame.
Here's the email that UNAC sent to its members today:
Date: Wed, 28 Nov 2012 16:15:57 -0500 (EST)
To:
Subject: UNAC/UHCP Withdraws from Partnership Activities
UNAC/UHCP Withdraws from Partnership Activities
Yesterday, UNAC/UHCP President Ken Deitz informed Kaiser Southern
California President Ben Chu that UNAC/UHCP will be withdrawing from
Labor Management Partnership activities until our dispute regarding the
gross violation of our contract is resolved. Read the letter to Ben Chu here.
Our relationship with Kaiser is based on our Collective Bargaining
Agreement. On November 16, Kaiser violated the most sacred provision in
our contract, seniority, when they eliminated 175 UNAC/UHCP positions.
Moreover, Kaiser failed to comply with the spirit and intent of the
Employment and Income Security Agreement within our contract.
Quite simply, we need to stand up for our contract.
When
Kaiser gave notice to our members, they returned each member back to
their “original eliminated position,” and told the member they had one
year to find other employment. This is a violation of the Employment and
Income Security provision in our contract.
Why the reduction in
force? Kaiser expects to earn $735 million in profits this year in
Southern California. Kaiser’s patient membership has grown in Southern
California this year by 95,000 new patients. Kaiser expects to increase
patient membership in 2013 by 80,000; in 2014 by 225,000; and in 2015 by
200,000. Does this sound like a corporation that needs to be
eliminating positions? Read the Sacramento Business Journal's report about Kaiser's "huge swing into solid profitability" here.
We Need to Stand Up and Stand Together
Here's how we can all make a difference:
+ Withdraw and boycott “partnership” activities until our grievance is settled
+ Sign up for our text alerts so you are informed
+ Participate in our protest actions at your facility and other facilities
+ Support your co-workers who are affected and remember, an injury to one, is an injury to all
+ Distribute this leaflet to your coworkers |
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