NUHW, Kaiser reach agreement in California
Joint statement by the National Union of Healthcare Workers and Kaiser Permanente on having reached a tentative agreement to end the mental health care strike in Northern California:
Kaiser Permanente and the National Union of Healthcare Workers (NUHW) are pleased to jointly announce that in the early hours of Oct. 18, we reached a tentative agreement for a new contract, bringing the 10-week strike by mental health therapists in Northern California to a conclusion. The new 4-year agreement will benefit Kaiser Permanente patients and drive collaborative efforts aimed at improving access to mental health care, while at the same time recognizing and better supporting mental health therapists in their important work.
Nearly 2,000 Kaiser Permanente therapists, represented by NUHW, will participate in a two-day ratification vote starting this evening, after which more details about the agreement will be available. NUHW and Kaiser Permanente wish to thank Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg for mediating and helping to bring negotiations to a close.