We made history today. By an overwhelming majority, UNAC/UHCP members voted to ratify our hard-fought contracts.
The wage increases and shift differentials in our new contracts went into effect on October 1, 2018. The company is currently programming them into their payroll systems, so they won’t show up in our paychecks until mid-November. At that time, we will receive full retro pay back to October 1.
Starting the week of October 15, all UNAC/UHCP KP members will be able to access the language in the new agreements by logging into MemberLink.
Over the past four days, UNAC/UHCP members throughout Southern California heard all the details from the bargaining teams. Thousands voted. We made our voices heard. Our tireless efforts on behalf of our patients have been rewarded with agreements that set the standard in California. These contracts will save lives.
Our new contracts didn’t come easy. On July 8, over 2,000 UNAC/UHCP members joined other Alliance union members to show Kaiser we were ready to do whatever it takes for our patients.
Later that month, we began local bargaining, a marathon of negotiating sessions that continued through mid-September. UNAC/UHCP local bargaining teams pushed for better patient care and safety standards. In August, hundreds of UNAC/UHCP members came to bargaining to share our staffing stories.
By the time scheduled local bargaining sessions concluded on September 12, the UNAC/UHCP blue book bargaining team secured our better-than-state-law UNAC/UHCP ratios in the contract. This incredible win was a testament to the power of member engagement in the process. We did this—together.
Let’s take a minute to enjoy this moment in time. Congratulations.