Kaiser Permanente, Unions Reach Deal on New Contracts

Health system Kaiser Permanente reached a tentative agreement with unions that would raise wages and increase investment in staffing. “Thousands of Kaiser healthcare workers fought hard for this new agreement, and now we will finally have the resources we need to do the job we love and keep our patients safe,” said Yvonne Esquivel, a pediatric medical assistant at Kaiser Permanente in Gilroy, Calif. Kaiser had proposed wage increases of 12.5% to 16% for the duration of the contracts, while the unions had called for 24.5%.