Alliance of Health Care Unions
Labor federation representing 52,000 healthcare workers
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The Alliance of Health Care Unions (Alliance) is a union federation of 21 local unions representing roughly 52,000 Kaiser Permanente (KP) employees.[1][2] The Alliance is one of two union federations that are part of the largest and longest running Labor Management Partnership in the U.S.[3][4][5] In 2021, more than 40,000 Alliance members were on the verge of the largest open-ended healthcare strike over concerns of short staffing and a two-tier wage system proposed by KP.[6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13] On November 13, 2021, the Alliance and KP reached an agreement that preserved leading wages and benefits and defeated the two-tier system.[14][15]
Membership
List of union locals that are part of the Alliance:[2]
- Hawaii Nurses and Health Care Professionals (HNHP): Registered nurses, nurse practitioners, and respiratory therapists employed by Kaiser Permanente in Hawaii.
- International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) Local 166: More than 600 imaging techs and other health care workers in Southern California.
- International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) Local 28: Security guards in Kaiser Permanente Northwest.
- International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE), Locals 1 and 501: Skilled Maintenance, building engineers, biomedical engineers and others in Colorado and Southern California.
- Kaiser Permanente Nurse Anesthetists Association (KPNAA): Certified nurse anesthetists in Southern California.
- Oregon Federation of Nurses & Health Professionals (OFNHP) AFT Local 5017: Registered nurses, dental hygienists, lab professionals and other health care professionals in the Northwest, Portland area.
- United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 7: Registered nurses, psychologists, social workers, pharmacists and other health care professionals in Colorado.
- United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 21: Pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, imaging and respiratory techs, clinical lab scientists and other healthcare professionals in Washington state.
- United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 27: Registered nurses, pharmacists, psychologists and other health care professionals in the Mid-Atlantic area.
- United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Locals 135, 324, 770, 1167, 1428, 1442: Pharmacy clerks, technicians and clinical lab scientists in Southern California, including all Kaiser Permanente tech, service, clinical and administrative workers in Kern County.
- United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 400: Registered nurses and health care professionals in the Mid-Atlantic area.
- United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 1996: Registered nurses, service, technical, professionals for all of KP Georgia.
- United Steelworkers Local 7600: Service, technical, skilled maintenance and clerical workers in Southern California.
- United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals (UNAC/UHCP): 21,000 nurses, mid-wives, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, rehab therapists, optometrists and other healthcare professionals in Southern and Northern California and Hawaii.
- UNITE HERE Local 5: Service and technical workers in Hawaii.
Healthcare strikes
Over 40,000 Alliance members gave Kaiser Permanente strike notice and were the verge of a historic healthcare strike over concerns about short staffing and a two-tier wage system.[6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13]
"Kaiser Permanente's latest proposal is an insulting 2% wage increase contingent upon union's agreement to a two-tier wage system, which threatens to cut 26-33% of wages for all future hires. Kaiser Permanente also refuses to address the short-staffing impacting all its facilities. Workers report being stressed, overworked, and burnt out while taking care of our community throughout the pandemic."[16]
The strike authorization votes by Alliance Unions became widely anticipated as part of Striketober and Strikesgiving.[17][18] On November 13, 2021, the Alliance and KP reached an agreement that preserved leading wages and benefits and defeated the two-tier system.[14][15]