Kaiser stewards win back more than $500,000 in lost pay
NUHW stewards at Kaiser Permanente in Northern California acted quickly to prevent Kaiser from violating our contract and costing members more than $500,000 in lost pay. As a result of their diligence, nearly 1,200 NUHW members at Kaiser received lump sum payments ranging from $185 to $850 on their Feb. 19th paychecks for pay they should have received last July.
“I was very happy to receive my full earnings this paycheck,” said Mary Anne Beach, a Kaiser clinician. “I’m glad my union didn’t let Kaiser get away with violating the contract and denying us our full wages.”
The lost pay stems from Kaiser management violating our contracts by observing the 4th of July holiday on Friday, July 3rd. Our contracts specify that holidays are to be observed on the day they occur, with each NUHW member having the option to choose another day off with pay within 30 days. By “closing” on Friday, July 3, Kaiser did not give its employees the opportunity to work and thus deprived them of a day’s wages.
The issue was brought up by stewards on a July 2 call and immediately raised with Kaiser labor relations officials. NUHW requested an audit and filed a grievance, but Kaiser acknowledged the mistake and never took the matter to arbitration.
Overall, Kaiser has had to pay a total of $586,000 to 1,185 NUHW members, and we’re awaiting the results of a supplemental audit that could show as many as 400 other NUHW members also being eligible for a payout.