Monday, May 25, 2015

Contract Buddy battles Mickey Mouse at Kaiser Partnership Bargaining


In case you’re wondering what's happening inside the Kaiser partnership negotiations, here are a few images and an inspiring video from the negotiations.

Remember... these are the same negotiations where SEIU-UHW's main contract spokesperson is a cartoon character called "Contract Buddy” …and SEIU’s only worker-mobilization effort has been a "walkathon" attended by a handful of workers.


Kaiser Permanente CEO Bernard Tyson -- who just announced that Kaiser pocketed $1 billion in profits during the first three months of 2015 -- seems very pleased with the Disneyfication of labor negotiations. Tyson even agreed to hang colorful worker-made trinkets atop his pinstriped suit to please the crowd.

Meanwhile, as workers’ bargaining teams are distracted by their Kaiser-paid weekends at Disneyland and dance-a-thons, SEIU-UHW's Dave Regan and the unions' other top officials cut secret deals with the bosses behind closed doors.

Kaiser CEO Tyson: "Check out my new partnership jewelry"

Regan's lieutenant: Hal Ruddick