KP-CNA Bargaining Update, Aug. 29 – Sept. 2, 2022

We hear the fatigue and frustration of our nurses, and we continue to work effectively to hire and retain skilled, dedicated nurses. Staffing shortages are affecting all of health care, as well as other sectors in the U.S., and Kaiser Permanente has not been immune to this trend. Despite the acute shortage of nurses in the state, Kaiser Permanente Northern California has hired 3,288 additional nurses to date since 2021 of which 650 were new graduates hired through our nurse residency program. Health care continues to face high demand, and we are actively working to fill open care delivery positions as well as improve our hiring and staffing processes to ensure patient-facing positions can be filled efficiently and quickly.

We continue to focus in bargaining on topics of importance to you and to our patients and our organization.  We are extremely thankful for you and your nurse colleagues, for your dedication to providing care and service, especially throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, which has been nothing short of inspiring. We are committed to continuing to provide you with competitive compensation and benefits, professional opportunities, and a work environment committed to your well-being and safety.

In addition, this week in two bargaining sessions with the California Nurses Association (CNA), Kaiser Permanente and the union made significant progress, including a tentative agreement to create an equity, inclusion, and diversity (EID) committee. The function of the committee will be to identify EID issues of mutual interest and to recommend to Kaiser Permanente ways to address opportunities in recruitment, selection, retention, training, and inclusive environment.

We appreciate the continued professional and cordial tone of the conversations at the bargaining table. CNA and Kaiser Permanente have agreed to meet twice a week for the next three weeks, with the intent to reach an agreement that is good for our patients, members, nurses, and organization.

We’re grateful for the many contributions of our nurses and nurse leaders to Kaiser Permanente and the integral role you play in bringing the KP mission to life for our patients, members, and communities. We simply wouldn’t be Kaiser Permanente without you. Our sincerest thanks.