Kaiser Permanente has reached a tentative deal to resolve a labor dispute with more than 75,000 union workers.
The Oakland, California-based health system and the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions announced Friday that negotiators made a four-year agreement that averts further strikes. The unions had planned a second walkout for Nov. 1-8.
Related: 75,000 Kaiser Permanente workers go on strike
If finalized, the contract would raise pay 21%, establish a minimum $25 hourly wage for healthcare workers in California and $23 elsewhere, limit subcontracting and outsourcing, streamline hiring practices, increase educational funding, boost training, and establish large-scale hiring events, according to a news release from the health system and the unions.
The agreement also includes provisions for a revamped performance sharing program under which employees receive bonuses based on how many patients receive vaccines and how many experience reduced blood pressure, Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West President Dave Reagan said at a news conference.
The health system and the unions also agreed to update their 26-year-old labor-management partnership, Steve Shields, senior vice president of national labor relations at Kaiser Permanente, said at the news conference.
The deal is subject to approval by union members, who will begin voting on Wednesday. In statements on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, Kaiser Permanente and the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions credited acting Labor Secretary Julie Su for helping guide the talks to a close.
Kaiser Permanente employees in seven states, including licensed vocational nurses, certified nursing assistants and pharmacy technicians, staged a strike from Oct. 4-6. The previous four-year contract expired on Sept. 30.
The Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions sought concessions such as a systemwide minimum wage, more staffing and limits on workforce outsourcing. The labor alliance comprises affiliates of the SEIU, the Office and Professional Employees International Union and the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers.
"I’m grateful to Kaiser Permanente and the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions for coming together in good faith to ensure these workers can continue caring for our neighbors and loved ones," President Joe Biden said in a news release.