I attended Kaiser national bargaining in April. The union really listened to the opinions of union members in the caucuses. I would encourage other UNAC/UHCP members to attend negotiations when their own contracts are being negotiated.
It was always my goal to get into Kaiser, and after being here six years I thought it would be my last stop. Kaiser was always a superior place to work. They attracted good people who stayed a long time. Having such a good workforce made them a great healthcare provider.
I’m a social person and that’s part of what makes being a nurse so rewarding—that caring aspect and the personal connection in a job where you can be financially stable. Regardless of the economy there will always be a need for nurses because no one can do what nurses can do with that personal touch. I got active from just going to general union meetings where I heard about how Kaiser might try to cut our benefits. I’ve been to all the Steward trainings this year, and they’re very beneficial. I want to know as much as I can firsthand, and I want to spread the information around.
UNAC/UHCP is a much stronger union than the one I belonged to before I came to Kaiser. I know that if anything happens, I have someone to stand behind me. I also appreciate how well the union communicates—coming around to the departments, as well as keeping us informed by email and robo calls. Our union is solid and strong, especially when we’re really fighting to save our retirement. We just want to keep what we’ve earned. If we can do that, Kaiser can keep us as employees, and then everyone will be happy.