Enough is enough!

Kaiser Healthcare ProsAugust 17, 2011

Brothers and Sisters:

You’d think that after announcing profits of over $1.5 billion for just the first half of this year, Kaiser Permanente wouldn’t have the nerve to ask for millions of dollars in rate hikes from school employees and health and pension takeaways from all Kaiser healthcare workers. But that’s exactly what Kaiser is doing.

In response, thousands of teachers from the California Federation of Teachers and concerned community members from the Courage Campaign are joining Kaiser healthcare workers united in NUHW by taking action.

Join NUHW’s labor and community allies and tell Kaiser that rate hikes for teachers and cuts for healthcare workers are not okay.

Last month, Kaiser, the largest health provider for school employees in Los Angeles, proposed a more than 10% increase in the rates it charges the LA school district.

Kaiser’s proposed rate hike would add $40 million per year to the district’s expenses. With over $6 billion in profits in the last 30 months, Kaiser has no business jacking up rates for school employees in a time of deep budget cutting and layoffs.

Kaiser management has made it clear at the bargaining table that they intend to roll out health benefit and pension cuts for all Kaiser workers, including the 44,000 Kaiser workers in the Service and Tech unit.

Kaiser’s proposed takeaways are so serious that 17,000 RNs who are members of the California Nurses Association voted last week to issue a statement alerting Kaiser that they intend to join NUHW and go on strike to protect the pensions and health benefits of all Kaiser workers.

Join thousands of workers and concerned citizens and tell Kaiser to put workers and patients before profits.

While Kaiser rakes in billions in profits, Kaiser doesn’t tell workers and patients that Kaiser CEO, George Halvorson, made $8 million in compensation in 2009 or that top executives at Kaiser enjoy as many as 8 different pension accounts.

It’s shameful that Kaiser’s executives want to entirely eliminate the one pension belonging to Kaiser healthcare workers. At some point, we have to tell Kaiser enough is enough!

Join with labor and community allies of NUHW as we stand together for students, school employees, nurses, healthcare workers and our patients.

Please take action right now and tell Kaiser CEO George Halvorson “Enough is enough!”

Sincerely,

Elizabeth Carter, LVN, Kaiser Richmond Pinole Clinic
National Union of Healthcare Workers