We’ve negotiated with NUHW for more than a year and at our Thursday, September 5 bargaining session, we reiterated our excellent offer to the NUHW bargaining team as our “last, best, and final” proposal — with a significant difference. We added an important element that we hope reflects our interest to move forward with you. If the proposal is accepted by September 25, 2019, Kaiser Permanente will make wage increases in our proposal retroactive to the pay period closest to September 30, 2018, the date of the last contract’s expiration. This means the 3% salary increase for the first year of the agreement will go into effect during the pay period closest to September 30, 2018. In each of years 2 and 3 you’ll receive an increase of 2% to the base and a 1.5% cash payment. If this offer is not accepted, the annual wage increases will become effective as of the first full pay period to begin after ratification of the agreement which is the more traditional approach to timing.
Please see the information below for details about the other key features of our offer. It’s our hope that after your review, you’ll conclude that these terms will provide you with highly attractive wages and benefits and will strengthen Kaiser Permanente’s ability to be the best place in health care to work and to receive care.
Contract Proposal Summary (*Items listed are subject to bargaining)
(*Items listed are subject to bargaining)
Your Personal Economics
Annual Performance Sharing Bonus of up to $3,000*
A Ratification Bonus of 1% will be paid to full- and part-time active employees employed on the date the new contract is ratified.
No changes to Active Medical and Pension Programs
Annual dental coverage* Increased to a maximum of $1,500
Alternate Mental Health* Effective January 1, 2020, the Alternate Mental Health coverage will cover 80% of reasonable and customary charges, inclusive of both inpatient and outpatient, with no maximum number of visits.
Increased tuition reimbursement to $3,000/year with $750 of the total usable for travel which brings this benefit on par with other roles. Wage Differential Enhancements* Differential increases for Evening and Night Shifts, and Bilingual Pay.
Tax Deferred Retirement Savings* Effective January 1, 2021, Kaiser Permanente will match 100% of an eligible employee’s contribution to his/her EDC plan, up to three percent (3%) of the employee’s eligible compensation. Effective January 1, 2021, Employees working at Kaiser Permanente on December 31 of the applicable year who contribute throughout that year at least 2% of their eligible compensation, or 3% of eligible compensation if they participate in the EDC plan, will receive the applicable match from Kaiser Permanente on the total of his/her eligible compensation.
Retiree Medical Health Reimbursement Account* Increased to $2,000 per year of service.
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Kaiser Permanente Southern California's Summary of Last, Best, and Final Offer to NUHW Psych-Social Chapter
We’ve negotiated with NUHW for more than a year and at our Thursday, September 5 bargaining session, we reiterated our excellent offer to the NUHW bargaining team as our “last, best, and final” proposal — with a significant difference. We added an important element that we hope reflects our interest to move forward with you. If the proposal is accepted by September 25, 2019, Kaiser Permanente will make wage increases in our proposal retroactive to the pay period closest to September 30, 2018, the date of the last contract’s expiration. This means the 3% salary increase for the first year of the agreement will go into effect during the pay period closest to September 30, 2018. In each of years 2 and 3 you’ll receive an increase of 2% to the base and a 1.5% cash payment. If this offer is not accepted, the annual wage increases will become effective as of the first full pay period to begin after ratification of the agreement which is the more traditional approach to timing.
Please see the information below for details about the other key features of our offer. It’s our hope that after your review, you’ll conclude that these terms will provide you with highly attractive wages and benefits and will strengthen Kaiser Permanente’s ability to be the best place in health care to work and to receive care.
Contract Proposal Summary (*Items listed are subject to bargaining)
Your Personal Economics
Annual Performance Sharing Bonus of up to $5,000* A Ratification Bonus of 1% will be paid to full- and part-time active employees employed on the date the new contract is ratified.
A Ratification Bonus of 1% will be paid to full- and part-time active employees employed on the date the new contract is ratified.
No changes to Active Medical and Pension Programs
Annual Dental Coverage* Effective January 1, 2021, the dental plan participants’ annual maximum will be increased to $1,500 per calendar year. Also effective January 1, 2021, the lifetime maximum for child orthodontia will be increased to $1,500.
Alternate Mental Health* Effective January 1, 2020, the Alternate Mental Health coverage will cover 80% of reasonable and customary charges, inclusive of both inpatient and outpatient, with no maximum number of visits.
Benefits by Design Voluntary Programs* Effective January 1, 2020, the Benefits by Design Voluntary Program will be made available to eligible employees on an after-tax basis. Available options may include: long-term care insurance, legal services insurance, additional term life insurance, identity theft maintenance, and auto, homeowners’, and pet insurance.
Wage Differential Enhancements* Differential increases for Evening Shifts, Night Shifts, and Standby Pay.
Market-competitive adjustments to wage scales* Kaiser Permanente proposed market adjustment increases to wage scales for Psychiatric Registered Nurse professionals with associated minimum requirements for the position to align with other Southern California nursing professionals.
Tax Deferred Retirement Savings* Effective January 1, 2021, Kaiser Permanente will match 100% of an eligible employee’s contribution to his/her EDC plan, up to three percent (3%) of the employee’s eligible compensation. Effective January 1, 2021, Employees working at Kaiser Permanente on December 31 of the applicable year who contribute throughout that year at least 2% of their eligible compensation, or 3% of eligible compensation if they participate in the EDC plan, will receive the applicable match from Kaiser Permanente on the total of his/her eligible compensation.
Retiree Medical Health Reimbursement Account* Increased to $2,000 per year of service
Your Practice & Staffing
Immediate Relief* (within 30 days of contract ratification) • Staffing with temporary agency resources and therapists where available to assist with return access. • Staffing with temporary agency psychiatric RNs for triage where indicated.
Increased supplemental staffing resources (temporary, per-diem, agency) for an immediate increase in internal capacity.
Office practice support (as indicated) • Appointment clerks • Clerical resources • Extender roles
More recruiters and staff working to fill mental health positions.
More rapid expansion and refresh of mental health offices, facilities.
SCAL Care Navigators* 20 additional FTE positions (LCSW/MFT) for the Southern California Care Navigator rollout and implementation will be created to provide immediate access relief. The positions will be added as soon as administratively possible in relation to individual medical center start-up operational needs.
New Job Classifications* Two new classifications have been proposed: Developmental Psychologist and Neuropsychologist. Both classifications will be paid 5% above the current Psychologist wage scale. Also, an additional 5% differential will be paid to Neuropsychologists who obtain and provide proof of valid Neuropsychology board certification.
Professional Development & Growing the Workforce
Increased tuition reimbursement to $3,000/year*
Student Loan Repayment Program • Graduates of accredited bachelor’s or master’s level programs would receive a $10,000 lifetime repayment for qualified student loans related to education in mental health professions, with a maximum reimbursement payment of $2,500 per year. • Graduates of accredited doctorate level programs would receive $20,000 lifetime repayment for qualified student loans related to education in mental health professions, with a maximum reimbursement payment of $5,000 per year. • Current employees with at least a .80 FTE, who have an existing college school loan(s) from an accredited college/university receiving a bachelor’s, master’s or doctorate degree in the field of mental/behavioral health, are eligible to apply for this program. • This program is for loans already incurred as of June 1, 2019.
KP investments to support • Post graduate Fellowship & Residency programs • Expansion of KP’s master’s practicum and post-doctorate programs • Grants to fund clinical research • Grants to expand college degree programs in mental health
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KPSC-NUHW Psych-Social Chapter Employees. Kaiser Permanente Summary of Key Proposals.
To our valued Mental Health Professionals and Registered
Nurses,
The contract proposal that is currently out to you for
consideration is as important to us as it is to you. We’ve been at the
Bargaining Table for almost one full year. Our most recent discussions have
yielded what we consider significant progress to address your concerns. We are
disappointed by the recommendation of your union for you to reject the proposal
which our bargaining teams did together and as a result, postpone the
improvements that need to be made immediately.
As we shared in our letter to each of you, we hear your
concerns about workloads and patient return access. We need a contract to move
forward on addressing these critical things. We’ve heard that the union doesn’t
trust that management is sincere in improving workloads and patient access.
Therefore, to demonstrate our commitment, we are moving forward with bringing
in relief staffing through temporary positions and agency resources – despite
not knowing the outcome of the ratification vote. We have also accelerated
recruitment strategies to fill our 75 open positions. We will also be adding
new Psychotherapist FTEs over the coming months above and beyond those open
positions. There is much more we need to do that is provided in our offer but
can’t without your approval of the contract.
The current offer under consideration addresses most of your
personal and professional interests and will relieve many of your immediate
concerns and daily challenges. It includes significant, meaningful provisions
to address staffing, scheduling, and compensation. It is also accompanied
by several initiatives we are undertaking to recruit and retain the best mental
health professionals. We are also looking at what facility expansion is
necessary to accommodate this planned growth.
We urge you to vote in favor
of ratification of the proposal, so we can all move forward.
Thank you for your dedication to our patients and the work
you do every day. Together, we will work to improve mental health care, make
Kaiser Permanente the employer of choice for mental health professionals, and
develop a model that can benefit the entire nation.
Sincerely,
Julie Miller-Phipps president, Southern California Region Kaiser Foundation Health Plan and Hospitals
Annie Russell, RN, MSN, MBA chief operating officer, Southern California Permanente Medical Group
Summary of
Kaiser Permanente Key Contract Proposals for the
Psych/Social Chapter (*Items listed
are subject to bargaining)
Addressing Staffing and Access Concerns We will immediately address the strain that has been placed on your daily office practice due to the rapid increase in demand for appointments, combined with staffing shortages and space constraints in several of our service areas. We also have initiatives and bargaining proposals that will address mid- and long-term staffing and access challenges, described below.
We will immediately address the strain that has been placed on your daily office practice due to the rapid increase in demand for appointments, combined with staffing shortages and space constraints in several of our service areas. We also have initiatives and bargaining proposals that will address mid- and long-term staffing and access challenges, described below.
Immediate Relief Within 30 days of contract ratification, we will increase staffing with temporary agency resources and therapists where available to assist with return access. We will also increase staffing with temporary agency psychiatric RNs for triage where indicated.
Mid-Term Staffing and Return Access Proposals
We will expand the number of recruiters and
staff working exclusively on filling mental health and wellness care positions.
We will provide office practice support with
appointment clerks, clerical resources and extender roles to reduce the
administrative burden of scheduling/rescheduling/appointment confirmation and
related clinical correspondence and paperwork as indicated.
New Job Classifications*
Two new classifications have been proposed:
Developmental Psychologist and Neuropsychologist. Both classifications will be
paid 5% above the current Psychologist wage scale. Also, an additional 5%
differential will be paid to Neuropsychologists who obtain and provide proof of
valid Neuropsychology board certification.
Long-Term Staffing and Return Access Proposals
As we are challenged with an increased demand
for services, we will continue to increase our supplemental staffing resources
including temporary, on-call and agency personnel where indicated.
We will evaluate retention and turnover data,
focusing on attrition in less than two years. We will also launch a
National/Regional recruitment campaign focused on mental health care jobs.
Adding Space and Improving Office Environments
We are accelerating capital investments where
possible to more rapidly expand the number of therapist offices, group rooms,
and telepsychiatry seats. We are also accelerating the refresh of our
existing mental health treatment environments.
Designing the Future of Mental Health Care
Our Joint 6-Month Intensive Workgroup: We
all agree that to address the growing demand for mental health care we need to
advance the existing model of care, and we must do it together. That’s why it’s
so exciting that we have reached agreement in bargaining to convene a
collaborative,
6-month access and innovation intensive workgroup to assist in advancing design
of the psychotherapy model of care with a specific focus on improving our
internal capacity to provide therapy, and to develop innovative approaches on
using feedback informed care, case conferencing, caseloads, and treatment
planning.
Increased Patient Engagement: We will
increase engagement with our mental health patient advisory council, which
provides input into the design of patient and family care experiences, and
consultation on initiatives to improve mental health service.
Grants to Fund Clinical Research: We will
commit $6 million to support research by our California mental health
professionals that promotes evidence-based treatment and improved outcomes in
mental health care.
Communication: We are also putting in
place direct to clinician communication and innovative interactive digital
strategies to elicit your ongoing feedback and keep all of you informed of our
commitment and actions in your professional area of practice.
Increasing the Number of Mental Health Professionals, and Recruiting and Retaining Therapists We will commit substantial resources – $50 million over three years – to increase the number of people entering, developing, and remaining in the mental health professions, and also make Kaiser Permanente the preferred place for them to deliver care and grow their skills and knowledge.
Existing Student Loan Repayment Program*:
To help recruit new professionals and acknowledge those already working in
mental health care, we have proposed a loan repayment program for existing .80
FTE employees and new hires who are currently carrying student loan debt. Those
with loans related to their bachelor’s or master’s degree would be eligible for
$2,500/year up to a $10,000 lifetime repayment. Doctorate level participants
would be eligible for $5,000/year up to a $20,000 max.
Covering Future Education Costs: We will
provide 75% tuition coverage at KP partner educational institutions to help
employees pursue master’s and doctorate degrees in mental health professions,
and for existing mental health professionals to pursue master’s and doctorate
degrees in clinical practice.
New Graduate Fellowship and Residency
Programs: We will create post-graduate Fellowship and Residency programs
for new graduates in degreed mental health professions, and expand our master’s
practicum and post-doctorate programs, through our university relationships, to
attract students with the ultimate goal of employment at Kaiser Permanente.
Expanding College Degree Programs: We
will commit $10 million in charitable grants to educational institutions
statewide to expand capacity in mental health professional careers, with an
emphasis in graduating bilingual and/or diverse students that reflect community
need.
Industry Leading Compensation We are offering a combination of wage and benefits increases that ensure you will receive continued market leading compensation. Our offer includes*:
Wages: We are proposing combined pay
increases/across-the-board wage increases for the Psych-Social Bargaining Unit
of 3% (retroactive to October 2018), and 2% for the next two years, for a total
of 7% ATB increases over the term of the contract, coupled with 1.5% lump sum
payments for active and part-time and full-time employees in 2019 and 2020.
This would total more than $23,500 for LCSWs earning the median wage, and
$29,000 for psychologists at the median.
Incentive Pay: We are offering up to
$5,000 per year in annual performance bonus, for a total of $15,000 over the
life of the contract.
Ratification Bonus: Active full- and
part-time employees will receive a 1% ratification bonus within 60 days after
the ratification date (or as soon as administratively possible).
Retirement Plan: In addition to the
existing employer contribution of 6% to the Employee Defined Contribution plan,
effective 1/1/21, employees will be eligible for an Employer match of your
contribution, up to 3% of your salary. So, if you contribute 3%, the net effect
would be a 12% annual contribution to your retirement savings.
Active & Retiree Medical: Effective
1/1/2020, we have offered to increase the retiree medical Health Reimbursement
Account by $1,000 per year of service from $1,000 to $2,000.
Alternate Mental Health*: Effective
January 1, 2020, the Alternate Mental Health coverage will increase from 50% to
80% of reasonable and customary charges, inclusive of both inpatient and
outpatient, with no maximum number of visits.
Dental Benefits: To bring you to parity
with other professionals, we are proposing increases to the annual dental
maximum and child lifetime orthodontics maximum to $1,500.
Tuition Reimbursement: We are proposing
to increase tuition reimbursement from $2,500 to $3,000 with $750 of the total
usable for travel. This is in addition to the new tuition and loan payment
programs we are also putting in place, described above.
Shift Differentials: Our additional
proposals to bring you to parity with other professionals include increases to
certain evening (32 cents) and night ($1.50) differentials, and standby.
Developing a Shared Understanding We will also commit to work together to gather and analyze data related to Kaiser Permanente jobs and pay rates, develop a common understanding of this data relative to the market, and review our findings together ahead of the next round of bargaining. We remain committed to competitive pay that allows Kaiser Permanente to continue to be an employer of choice while improving affordability and delivering high-quality care and service.
We believe this combination of business initiatives and
bargaining proposals described above is the largest investment made by a
healthcare organization in the country and is reflective of Kaiser Permanente’s
commitment to improving mental health care over the term of this agreement.
With your help, we will lead the nation in mental health, through early
detection and evidence-based treatment across a full continuum of care
settings.
A
special message to our Healthcare Professionals:
June 26, 2019
To our valued Audiologists, Speech Pathologists, Dietitians,
and Health Educators,
The contract proposal that is currently out to you for
consideration is as important to us as it is to you. We’ve been at the
Bargaining Table for almost one full year. Our most recent discussions have
yielded what we consider significant progress to address your concerns. We are
disappointed by the recommendation of your union for you to reject the proposal
which our bargaining teams did together and as a result, postpone the
improvements that need to be made immediately.
As we shared in our message to you in early June, we hear
your concerns and we’re responding to them. Your bargaining team colleagues
shared your desire for inclusion in a collaborative process with management to
design the future model of care. They also helped us understand your
perspective on equity in rewards and recognition, and the desire to improve
care for our members.
We believe the current offer under consideration addresses
most of your personal and professional interests and will relieve many of your
immediate concerns and daily challenges. But if we are to move forward on
addressing these critical issues, we need to have a contract.
We urge you to vote in favor
of ratification of the proposal, so we can all move forward.
Thank you for your dedication to our patients and the work
you do every day. Together, we will work to improve health care, make Kaiser
Permanente the employer of choice for our healthcare professionals, and develop
a model that can benefit the entire nation.
Sincerely,
Julie Miller-Phipps president, Southern California Region Kaiser Foundation Health Plan and Hospitals
Annie Russell, RN, MSN, MBA chief operating officer, Southern California Permanente Medical Group
Summary of Kaiser Permanente key Contract Proposals for the Healthcare Professionals Unit (*Items listed are subject to bargaining)
Across the Board Wage Increases and lump sum payments*
Effective retroactively to October 7, 2018, an
increase of 3%.
Effective October 6, 2019, an increase of 2% and a
1.5% lump sum bonus for full- and part-time active employees.
Effective October 5, 2020, an increase of 2% and a
1.5% lump sum bonus for full- and part-time active employees.
Annual Performance Sharing Bonus of up to $3,000*
A Ratification Bonus of 1% will be paid to full- and
part-time active employees employed on the date the new contract is ratified.
No changes to Active Medical and Pension Programs
Annual dental coverage* Increased to a maximum of $1,500
Alternate Mental Health* Effective January 1, 2020, the Alternate Mental Health coverage will cover 80% of reasonable and customary charges, inclusive of both inpatient and outpatient, with no maximum number of visits.
Increased tuition reimbursement to $3,000/year with
$750 of the total usable for travel which brings this benefit on par with other
roles.
Wage Differential Enhancements* Differential increases for Evening and Night Shifts, and Bilingual Pay.
Tax Deferred Retirement Savings* Effective January 1, 2021, Kaiser Permanente will match 100% of an eligible employee’s contribution to his/her EDC plan, up to three percent (3%) of the employee’s eligible compensation. Effective January 1, 2021, Employees working at Kaiser Permanente on December 31 of the applicable year who contribute throughout that year at least 2% of their eligible compensation, or 3% of eligible compensation if they participate in the EDC plan, will receive the applicable match from Kaiser Permanente on the total of his/her eligible compensation.
Retiree Medical Health Reimbursement Account* Increased to $2,000 per year of service.
* An asterisk means this item is subject to bargaining.
