Why 17,000 RNs are joining NUHW’s statewide strike against Kaiser

Kaiser IBHSAugust 25, 2011

Brothers and Sisters in NUHW:

Next month, 17,000 Northern California RNs who are members of the California Nurses Association will join 4,000 NUHW members in a statewide strike against Kaiser.

We’re standing united to stop Kaiser’s cuts.

Kaiser has put takeaways on the bargaining table that would: 

  • Eliminate Kaiser workers’ defined benefit pension, reducing workers’ retirement by more than half and making them “play the market” with a 401(k) instead of maintaining their current secure pension that’s guaranteed for life.
  • Force tens of thousands of Kaiser workers to pay for their health benefits and raise Kaiser workers’ co-pays by 400%.
  • Eliminate retiree health benefits and instead offer current Kaiser workers a small supplement to augment Medicare.

We know that Kaiser’s takeaways won’t stop at NUHW’s bargaining table. Soon, Kaiser will try to force the same cuts on CNA members, as well as the 43,000 Kaiser workers in SEIU.

CNA nurses are standing united with NUHW members to stop these cuts now.

Kaiser has made over $6 billion in the last two and one half years. That’s why RNs represented by CNAare speaking with one voice: Kaiser’s proposed takeaways are unfair and we are joining NUHW in a strike to hold Kaiser accountable.

As nurses we believe that every worker deserves healthcare security and to retire with dignity!

We also want to make one thing clear. Kaiser is not acting in the best interest of workers or our patients. Just last week Kaiser put out an email to our co-workers in CNA telling them that they were not “allowed” to join NUHW’s strike. That’s a lie, and here is our response.

We want Kaiser workers to know that we stand with you in your fight against Kaiser’s takeaways.

Together, we will hold Kaiser accountable for ourselves and for our patients.

Sincerely,

Robert Marth, Jr.RN, Kaiser Hayward 
California Nurses Association

P.S. Please click here to print and share this email in your workplace.