The History of the Future

Below is the most recent table showing unit-based team performance across Kaiser Permanente. Our National Agreement goal was to have 658 high-achieving teams by the end of 2011. With 1,097 teams rated at level 4 or 5 in early January, we have almost doubled our goal for the year – and more than tripled the number of high performing teams in place in January 2011.

It’s no secret that our economy is changing profoundly for millions of workers. But a December 30, 2011, New York Times article, "Factory Jobs Gain, but Wages Retreat," deserves special attention.

For Kaiser Permanente and the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions, 2011 ended on a high note: We substantially surpassed our goal for achieving high-performing unit-based teams. The National Agreement charged all of us with the achievement of 658 high-performing teams (level 4-5) based on the Path to Performance standards established in the Agreement. As of late December we had some 1,000 high-performing teams in place!

When we are concentrating on our daily work, we sometimes lose sight of the changes we've made over time. Think of how our world has changed in the 70 years since the attack on Pearl Harbor, and who could have imagined back then the changes that were already afoot? It's been just 15 years since we started labor management partnership at KP - and we may not yet grasp the profound changes we've made over time. The new 2011 People Pulse results tell part of the story.

Many of us are pleased that the Occupy movement resonates with so many. While not everyone is prepared to join one of the hundreds of encampments that have grown around the country over the past two months, it is not uncommon for mainstream media to recognize that they are articulating widespread public discontent. From MSNBC to the New York Times to many local and online  outlets, the media recognize that dominant themes of Occupy—income inequality and the need for good jobs— have become very popular themes. 

The U.S. Census Bureau released new measures of poverty in November. According to the New York Times, “All told 100 million people – one in three Americans – either live in poverty or in the fretful zone just above it.”

Recently, leaders of the 28 local unions that represent  nearly  95,000 frontline Kaiser Permanente employees in the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions came together to chart strategy in these challenging times.

As union leaders we are responsible for developing and executing strategies that will help us achieve our mission, which is to organize the unorganized, protect and enhance the best-in-industry standards that we have achieved, and empower the voices of all of our members to be effective advocates for those in our society who need our help the most.

Kaiser Permanente shone in the recently announced 2012 Medicare star quality ratings published by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The California, Northwest, Hawaii and Colorado Medicare plans received the highest overall rating of five stars; and the Ohio, Georgia and Mid-Atlantic States Medicare plans each received 4.5 stars.

An article in the Sunday, October 9, New York Times pointed out, as many others have, that China is expected to surpass the U.S. as the world’s largest economy by 2016. The article challenges readers to redefine what it means to be first in the world and has deep resonance for those of us who dedicate ourselves to social justice, both inside and outside of Kaiser Permanente.

“We have demonstrated that empowered health care workers deliver higher quality care at a more affordable cost—and in so doing, create the value that provides for industry-leading wages, benefits and quality of work life. Our model serves to inspire the movement for affordable, high-quality universal health care.”—Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions

A few years ago, our union coalition which represents more than 90,000 Kaiser Permanente employees, adopted this as our “legacy statement.” We believe that, as opposed to a mission statement, a legacy statement provides not just inspiration but also deep accountability for the changes we want to see.