UTNC Bargaining Update #4: May 22, 2025

Recap

This week, the UTNC bargaining team began important conversations around workload—specifically addressing appropriate patient ratios across our various departments and disciplines. Our initial discussions focused on identifying opportunities to optimize access to care for Kaiser Permanente patients in Northern California while ensuring sustainable workloads for therapists.

Management presented a proposal to update the contract language on Bereavement Leave to align with current California law. We will be reviewing this proposal closely.

We remain committed to advancing our mutual interests around workload and access through an Interest-Based Problem Solving (IBPS) approach. These discussions will continue when bargaining reconvenes Wednesday, May 28 and Thursday, May 29 at the Oakland Marriott.

Future Bargaining Dates

May 28 – Oakland (Oakland Marriott City Center)

May 29 – Oakland (Oakland Marriott City Center)

June 2 – Sacramento

June 3 – Sacramento

July 10 – Oakland

July 11 – Oakland

July 21 – Sacramento

Show your support on bargaining days by wearing your UNAC/UHCP gear! No branded items? No problem—wear a blue shirt to stand in solidarity. Every show of support makes a difference!

Remember to wear your UNAC/UHCP gear on bargaining days! If you don’t have any branded UNAC/UHCP items you can simply wear blue shirts to show solidarity. Every little act of support helps!

Open Invitation to Members

You are invited to join us in person at bargaining. Registration to attend is found 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!

UTNC Bargaining Update #3: May 4, 2025

Small Steps
This week on May 2 our team reconvened with management to continue bargaining our next contract.

We engaged in frank discussions throughout the day over our identified interests including just culture, grievance and arbitration, and lactation accommodation ultimately ending on a positive note to end the day.

Management passed a proposal to our team regarding Per-Diem Commitment and we received it favorably. We have not yet reached agreement on the proposal and will continue to refine the issue at our next session.

Future Bargaining Dates
May 19 – Sacramento
May 20 – Sacramento
May 28 – Oakland
May 29 – Oakland
June 2 – Sacramento
June 3 – Sacramento
July 10 – Oakland
July 11 – Oakland
July 21 – Sacramento

Remember to wear your UNAC/UHCP gear on bargaining days! If you don’t have any branded UNAC/UHCP items you can simply wear blue shirts to show solidarity. Every little act of support helps!

Open Invitation to Members
You are invited to join us in person at bargaining. Registration to attend is found 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!

UTNC Bargaining Update #2: April 17, 2025

A Day of Interests and Proposals
Our UTNC bargaining team continues the important work of developing interests for 2025 local bargaining. This week we passed a comprehensive and definitive list of our interests to management. These interests in combination with interests identified by management lay the foundation for bargaining and set the path forward.

Our team also passed proposals to management covering several areas of importance including grievance and arbitration, just culture, and lactation accommodation.

Future Bargaining Dates
May 2 – Oakland
May 19-20 – Sacramento
May 28-29 – Oakland

Member actions send a strong message to management and one of the easiest ways for members to support the bargaining effort is by wearing your UNAC/UHCP gear on bargaining days! If you don’t have any branded UNAC/UHCP items you can simply wear blue shirts to show solidarity. We are in this to win and appreciate your support!

Open Invitation to Members
All UTNC members are welcome to join bargaining sessions as an observer. Your personal show of support speaks loudly to management and provides a boost to our team!

Please join us if you can. Registration to attend is found on MemberLink.

UTNC Bargaining Update #1: April 3, 2025

Excellent first day
We had a strong start to interested-based bargaining when we met with management on April 1-2, 2025 in Oakland, CA.

Our bargaining team and the employer agreed to ground rules to establish and maintain a productive bargaining process.

We emphasized recruitment and retention of high quality employees in our bargaining unit, and Kaiser management expressed similar interest.

Future dates for UTNC bargaining
April 16 – Sacramento
May 2 – Oakland
May 19-20 – Sacramento
May 28-29 – Oakland

Member support and engagement with the bargaining process delivers a powerful message to management that we are united and will stand strong together to get the improvements in our contract that we all deserve.

Show your support by wearing your UNAC/UHCP gear on bargaining days! If you don’t have union branded gear you can simply wear blue shirts or polos to show solidarity. And, if you are interested in buying some swag you can easily do so at our online store (unacuhcp.org/store).

Join us in person to observe bargaining!
Our team always appreciates having you with us as we bargain with management. Your support empowers us at the table and shows management that the members are paying attention to what they do.

Please join us if you can. You must register to attend via MemberLink.

All bargaining sessions are open to all members. We typically bargain from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., but some of the time is spent in caucus. If you would like to attend a bargaining session, please be advised you will be asked to sign a non-disclosure agreement.

UTNC Bargaining Kickoff: March 26, 2025

Our UTNC bargaining team met with the management bargaining team for the first time yesterday.

Together, we all received training in interest-based bargaining (IBB). IBB is the process we use to bargain contracts with KP. It’s meant to be a collaborative approach in which we explore interests to come to mutually acceptable solutions to issues facing either side during contract negotiations.

Join us for bargaining
Tuesday, April 1 – Oakland
Wednesday, April 2 – Oakland

All bargaining sessions are open to all members. We typically bargain from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., but some of the time is spent in caucus. If you would like to attend a bargaining session, please be advised you will be asked to sign a non-disclosure agreement. We encourage those who are interested to attend. Register on MemberLink. Please reach out with any questions to therapist@unacuhcp.org.