Contracts & Bargaining
Dietitians-Audiologists-Speech Language Pathologists-Health Educators (DASH)
Our DASH bargaining team with our UNAC/UHCP President. From left to right, Jane Carter, Director of Research, Public Policy, and Regulatory Affairs; Vini Beltran, SLP; Stacy Eldridge, RD; Linda Stuart, SLP; Krisi Schwartz, RD; Charmaine Morales, RN, UNAC/UHCP President; Gerardo Bajamundi, RN, UNAC/UHCP staff rep; Saliem Aregaye, UNAC/UHCP staff rep; and Ana Bergeron, RN, UNAC/UHCP staff rep.
We have reached a Tentative Agreement (TA) on vacancy reporting, a key step forward in ensuring that our union members gain greater transparency and accountability around the posting of vacant positions. Management will provide regular reports identifying vacancies within 30 days.
This agreement strengthens our ability to track staffing shortages and advocate for timely recruitment to support both staff workload and client services.
Focus On Proposals
Our team also focused on comprehensive proposals that:
• Highlight our concerns about multi-site compensation
• Recognize the expanded duties and responsibilities of Speech-Language Pathologist Leads
Ongoing Bargaining Topics
Alternative Work Schedules and Flexibility: We continued discussions on expanding scheduling options to improve work-life balance and patient care duties.
Promotion Opportunities Recognizing Expertise: Advancing proposals to ensure that our members’ path to promotion will recognize the depth of their skills and experience.
Wage Grid Improvements: Our team is engaged in ongoing work to expand and modernize the wage grid to reflect increasing responsibilities, longevity and parity.
We will keep you updated on our progress at the table, and continue to advocate for proposals that reflect your priorities and the critical work you do.
Next Session:
Date: Wednesday, June 25 and Thursday, June 26, 2025
Location: UNAC/UHCP Headquarters, San Dimas, CA
We strongly encourage all DASH members to attend and observe the bargaining process firsthand. By getting involved and showing your support, you reinforce our collective strength at the table.
Sign up today on Memberlink and be part of the process.
Your involvement makes a difference!
On Thursday, May 15, our DASH-UNAC/UHCP bargaining team met again with Kaiser Permanente management to advance discussions on crucial shared interests. Our team presented proposals addressing several critical areas, including:
These proposals emphasize our commitment to recognizing members’ skills, contributions, and need for stable, equitable working conditions.
After four bargaining sessions, Management responded by presenting a proposal focused exclusively on advance hiring for Audiologists and Speech Pathologists. While we appreciate this initial step, we continue to urge Kaiser management to seriously consider and promptly respond to the broader concerns affecting our diverse membership.
Next Session:
Date: Wednesday, May 21 and Thursday, May 22 , 2025
Location: Kaiser Permanente Downey Medical Center
We strongly encourage all DASH members to attend and observe the bargaining process firsthand. By getting involved and showing your support, you reinforce our collective strength at the table.
Sign up today on Memberlink and be part of the process. Your involvement makes a difference!
On Thursday, April 24, our DASH-UNAC/UHCP bargaining team reconvened with Kaiser Permanente management to continue discussions on key shared interests. We remain focused on proposals that support both personal and professional sustainability for our members.
We continued meaningful discussions around auto-promotion pathways and flexible scheduling—both of which are critical to helping our members plan their lives, pursue career advancement, and maintain a healthy work-life balance.
Our team raised the need to ensure equitable holiday pay for part-time members and began discussions to address this issue. We also initiated conversations around protecting scheduled shifts, advocating for language that prevents last-minute cancellations and supports consistency in scheduling.
Next Session:
Our next bargaining session will continue on May 15, 2025 at the UNAC/UHCP headquarters in San Dimas, CA.
All DASH members are welcome to attend as observers. If you’d like to join us and witness the process firsthand, please sign up using the member link.
On Wednesday, April 16, our DASH-UNAC/UHCP bargaining team met with Kaiser Permanente management to continue negotiations toward a fair and comprehensive contract. We were joined by Peter Sidhu, UNAC/UHCP Executive Vice President. The session focused on several key interests that reflect our priorities and ongoing work at the table.
Key Topics Discussed:
• Auto-Promotion: KP management is currently reviewing information related to all DASH classifications as part of ongoing discussions around automatic promotion pathways.
• Health Educator (HE) & Registered Dietitian (RD) Classification Separation: We engaged in productive discussions about the importance of clearly separating the responsibilities of these two classifications. Both sides acknowledged the value of establishing clearer role distinctions. We also discussed forming a subgroup to review and update job descriptions to ensure they accurately reflect the current scope of work for Health Educators and Registered Dietitians.
• Weekend Differential: Both teams explored potential approaches to incentivize weekend work and last-minute scheduling changes. The goal is to improve coverage options while acknowledging the challenges that come with short-notice shifts.
• Flexible Scheduling: There is mutual interest in exploring flexible scheduling options. Current proposals from management focus on hourly employees, and we’re continuing conversations to ensure that any solutions developed can support the needs of all DASH members, including those in salaried roles.
Next Session:
Our next bargaining session will take place on Thursday, April 24 at the UNAC/UHCP headquarters in San Dimas, CA.
All DASH members are welcome to attend as observers. If you’d like to join us and witness the process firsthand, please sign up using the member link. Thank you for your continued support as we work toward a contract that truly reflects the value and expertise of our DASH members.
Make sure you are getting all the important information that comes along with bargaining our next contract. Memberlink (memberlink.unacuhcp.org) is our UNAC/UHCP member portal for filing a staffing objection, finding educational opportunities, signing up for trainings and conducting other union activities. Login to make sure your information is up-to-date.
If you need help updating your information, please call UNAC/UHCP’s Member Action Resource Center (MARC) at 1-877-506-4554.
We successfully kicked off bargaining with KP management on April 8 by introducing our dedicated DASH bargaining team. Team members shared their diverse experiences and powerful personal stories, reinforcing our collective commitment to patient care and staff well-being. A highlight came from DASH bargaining team members Linda and Vini, who passionately spoke about the rewarding nature of their work and the deep personal connections that fuel their dedication.
Both sides have been working together to discuss our interests and have already begun meaningful conversations and have established logistics and scheduled future sessions to maintain momentum toward securing a contract by September 1, 2025. Some of the discussions we’ve had so far include:
On April 10, we spent a considerable amount of time reaffirmed our commitment to the interest-based bargaining process, dedicating time to align on shared interests and priorities. We also continued meaningful discussions around creating clear, consistent career advancement pathways across all disciplines and expanding flexible scheduling options beyond the standard 8-hour shift.
Looking Ahead
Our next bargaining sessions are scheduled for April 16 and April 24 at the UNAC/UHCP headquarters in San Dimas, CA.
Members are welcome to join bargaining sessions as observers. You can sign up to attend using the member link.
Thank you for your continued support and engagement!
Southern California Kickoff
We’re ready to work toward a contract that strengthens our labor-management partnership and ensures the best care for our patients. Nearly 30,000 registered nurses and healthcare professionals across Southern California are coming together to advocate for wages that attract, retain, and respect the dedicated professionals who keep Kaiser Permanente at the forefront of healthcare.
Representing registered nurses, pharmacists, rehab therapists, optometrists, dietitians, audiologists, health educators, and speech-language pathologists, we know that delivering high-quality care starts with safe staffing. When teams are fully supported, patients receive the best care, and professionals can work at the top of their licenses.
Almost all Southern California KP contracts expire on September 30, 2025. These negotiations are a key opportunity to strengthen our workforce, improve patient outcomes, and reinforce the partnership that has provided high-quality care to Kaiser Permanente patients.
Together, we are committed to solutions that support healthcare professionals, enhance patient care, and uphold our shared mission. Stay engaged—this is our moment to make a real difference.