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2008 Reopener...to be continuedLeaders agree to resume talks in SeptemberAugust 7, 2008 Kaiser Permanente physician, management and union leaders gathered in the Bay Area, first in July and again beginning August 4, to reopen two provisions of the 2005 National Agreement—across-the-board wage adjustments and retiree medical benefits. After four productive days of interest-based bargaining, the parties agreed to break and resume their discussions in early September. Between now and September, joint teams of labor and management representatives will continue to work three subjects related to bargaining. The teams will explore retiree health coverage; performance improvement and incentive strategies; and data and metrics that give a clear picture of the current economy and program costs. "We've had four days of useful discussions, and we've taken the time to fully examine the pressures confronting all of us—our workers, the organization and our health plan members—in today's difficult economy, including recent changes in the Consumer Price Index. It's important to study the issues and to honor our social mission, our model of care and our partnership," said a joint statement from John August, executive director of the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions; Martin Gilbert, MD, associate executive director of Operations Strategy, Permanente Federation; and Mary Ann Thode, senior vice president, Office of Labor Management Partnership.
At the kick-off session in July, the 44 union, physician and management leaders identified several shared interests intended to guide their discussions. These included:
During the initial discussions, the parties worked to develop innovative solutions to address all issues on the table. They look forward to concluding those discussions in September.
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