Contracts & Bargaining
Kaiser Permanente Association of Southern CA Optometrists (KPASCO)
KPASCO bargaining team: Bottom row, from left to right, Mayra Berdugo, OD, KPASCO 2nd Vice President; Mandy Hartz, lead negotiator; Sabreen Onallah, OD, KPASCO Secretary; and Greg Lutz, RN, UNAC/UHCP KPASCO Staff Representative. Top row, from left to right, Karen Santillan, OD, KPASCO Contract Specialist; Gene Chang, OD, KPASCO Parliamentarian; Cecilia Rivas, OD, KPASCO Bargaining Team member; and David Huang, OD, UNAC/UHCP Staff Representative.
Charmaine S. Morales, RN, UNAC/UHCP President with the KPASCO bargaining team, April 30, 2025.
Bargaining Report
Over two days of bargaining this week on May 19 and 21 our team worked hard to build momentum, passing five proposals to management. Management also made two proposals.
Our proposals addressed:
Management’s Proposals:
Our approach to bargaining is to be as open and transparent as possible with management to highlight the various problems we are trying to solve. A lot of ground has been covered and we are planning to schedule a town hall in June to create an opportunity for the KPASCO membership to engage with our team and dive deeper into the many bargaining issues being addressed. More information about this will be sent to you once we have confirmed the details.
Our next bargaining session with management will be on July 10. We have worked hard to craft and pass a substantial number of proposals and expect management to use the ample time between sessions to prepare thorough responses.
Nine member observers joined us this week: Elizabeth Chen, Sarah Ting, Julie Hwang, Christopher Albaugh, Tara Vacharkulksemsuk, Hawna Chau, Janet Mach, Judy Fan, and repeat attendee Elaine Tu. Your support means so much to us!
Be sure to come out to our next bargaining sessions on July 10 and 11 held at the UNAC/UHCP offices in San Dimas. Please register on MemberLink. We hope to see you then!
Per Diem Survey
So far we have heard from approximately half of our per-diem ODs on this important per-diem survey. We want to hear from the rest of you! The survey remains open and we ask that you take a few minutes to register your responses.
As a reminder, during this bargaining management has expressed an interest in increasing the minimum Per Diem commitment. Your survey responses will help our team respond accordingly.
Bargaining Town Hall Coming in June
We are making plans to hold an informational town hall during the month of June.Our team will provide an update on bargaining and we look forward to responding to any questions you may have.
When a date has been selected we will send you notification including details for how to join the meeting.
Future Bargaining Dates
July 10 – UNAC/UHCP HQ, San Dimas
July 11 – UNAC/UHCP HQ, San Dimas
July 29 – UNAC/UHCP HQ, San Dimas
July 31 – UNAC/UHCP HQ, San Dimas
August 8 – UNAC/UHCP HQ, San Dimas
August 11 – UNAC/UHCP HQ, San Dimas
August 14 – UNAC/UHCP HQ, San Dimas
August 26 – UNAC/UHCP HQ, San Dimas
August 27 – UNAC/UHCP HQ, San Dimas
Join Us
KPASCO members are invited to join bargaining sessions in person as member observers. If you are interested in attending please sign up on MemberLink.
You are not required to stay the entire day. Feel free to join us when you can even if only for an hour or two, or all day, the choice is yours!
Bargaining Report
Our KPASCO bargaining team met this week on April 28 and 30 to continue bargaining our next contract with management.
Overall these sessions were positive and filled with robust dialogue about the interests identified by our team and management’s team including ways that we might improve scheduling and staffing to better allow ODs to use accrued time off when needed, a key interest of ours. We have now presented all of our interests in writing and are looking forward to working toward improvements in our next contract based on the identified issues.
We are pleased to announce the signing of our first Tentative Agreement (TA), reaching agreement on a rebrand of “Permanente Vision Services” to “Vision Essentials.” It’s a small step forward but pushes momentum in a positive direction.
Thank you to our member observers who joined us this week! Makkasen Em, Joseph Wu, Tony Dang, Tiffany Hoang, and Elaine Tu all joined us in person. We appreciate your support.
Be sure to come out to our next bargaining sessions on May 19 and May 21 held at the UNAC/UHCP offices in San Dimas. Hope to see you then!
Per-Diem Survey
Per Diem Optometrists, during negotiations, management has expressed an interest in increasing the minimum Per Diem commitment.
Thank you for supporting our bargaining team by answering six quick questions on our survey. Click here to take the survey.
Future Bargaining Dates
Join Us!
KPASCO members are invited to join bargaining sessions in person as member observers. If you are interested in attending please sign up on MemberLink. Bargaining typically begins at 9 a.m. and concludes by 5 p.m.
You are not required to stay the entire day. Feel free to join us when you can even if only for an hour or two, or all day, the choice is yours!
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.
Our KPASCO bargaining team on April 2: Bottom row, from left to right, Sabreen Onallah, OD, KPASCO Secretary, Mandy Hartz, lead negotiator, Mayra Berdugo, OD, 2nd Vice President. Top row, from left to right, David Huang, OD, UNAC/UHCP Staff Representative, Cecilia Rivas, OD, KPASCO Bargaining Team member, Greg Lutz, RN, UNAC/UHCP KPASCO Staff Representative, Marsha Vinson, OD, KPASCO President, Karen Santillan, OD, KPASCO Contract Specialist, Gene Chang, OD, KPASCO Parliamentarian.
Excellent first day
Our KPASCO bargaining team set a positive tone as we began local bargaining on April 2, 2025. Our team was energized and excited about making patient care and workplace improvements.
Looking forward
Our goal for the day was to establish how we will work with the Kaiser management team to bargain productively. We set the structure and ground rules, and then began the process of identifying shared interests.
Our next bargaining date is April 28 at UNAC/UHCP HQ in San Dimas. If you would like join us as an observer, please sign up on Memberlink.
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.