VOTE YES!

Hello SEIU-UHW Members,

I am writing to advocate that you READ AND GAIN AN UNDERSTANDING of what this Tentative Agreement really means to us. Once you understand the facts, GO AND VOTE TO RATIFY THIS AGREEMENT!

A vote for this agreement is a vote for your future and the future of your family!

A vote for this agreement is a vote for:
• Keeping all our benefits. That’s a fact--we have not LOST ANYTHING.
• No increase in our healthcare co-pays.
• Job security--the language protecting our jobs has not been altered.
• No change in retirement benefits.
• No reduction in sick day.
• No reduction in vacation days.
• Enhancement to sick day cash-out.
• No ETO-ESL plan.
• No paying for health benefits.

GET OUT AND VOTE!
We get all of this and we are not locked in for 5 years. What that means to me is that in two years we have the opportunity to go back, ask for more, and fight until we get it.

You all said in your surveys that the most important thing was no takeaways, keeping our job security, raises, and not paying for healthcare benefits. WE GOT ALL THAT!

Yes, there were other small things we wanted but there were other things that Kaiser wanted and we staved them off of those issues. We also made sure that we are in a position to either get more things in the future and to be strong enough as a union to fight off anything Kaiser brings to the table that looks like a takeaway.

Just look at the news or ask your neighbors if they’d like to get the following:
• No reduction in salary,
• No salary freeze,
• Not being told if you stay here we will have to take away your pension,
• Not being told you’ll have to pay for you pension through a 401K,
• No worries about when it will be your turn to stand in the unemployment line.

My God, my friends call and ask me how they can come to work for Kaiser Permanente. They are willing to do any job just so long as they can get the great medical benefits, which we still have. I have to tell them Kaiser Permanente is not hiring entry level positions right now. Because of the great agreement we negotiated, I thank God for being employed by Kaiser!

No, we did not get shift differential or salaries brought up to Northern California’s. There are other things all other coalition union members thought extremely important and you know what? I would be willing to strike over them, but the question I ask myself is this: Will the person working beside me be willing, or could he or she do it even if they wanted to? How many of us have unemployed spouses or under-employed spouses who are just doing whatever they can to help keep food on the table for their children? Some grown educated adults can’t even find jobs at Mc Donald’s or the local service station.

Appreciate what we have and that we are able to live (with a 3% raise) to fight another day.

Finally, when other folks say what they can do for you, ask for the proof:
• Show us what you have done for the members you have now.
• Give me written guarantees.
• Show me your financials proving you have the resources needed to sustain an all-out fight with the employer.
• Show me financials proving you can afford the appropriate staff to handle the needs of the members.
• Show me the grievances you’ve won for the members you now represent.
• Show me the contracts you have secured for your non-Kaiser members.
• Show me your 5-year plan for dues payments.

We (the entire coalitions of unions) need to see the blessings and be ever thankful. That is the way we ensure in two years we can receive more and better blessings.

Sorry this is such a lengthy missive, but I feel strongly that we need to VOTE YES or we need to start today saving our pennies to sustain us for the long dark days ahead on the picket line. REMEMBER GENERAL MOTORS and THE UNITED AUTOWORKERS?

I am a proud member of the 2010 National Bargaining Team and I am urging you to VOTE YES for this tentative agreement! Voting runs from June 15-23. Find out where to vote at your location here: http://www.seiu-uhw.org/kaiser/schedule


In Solidarity,

Shirlee Anne Shirley, C.R.T.

Bargaining Update: Round 3 (May 4-6)

Hello all,

It's the end of another bargaining session.

We had many agreed-upon recommendations to present this time, such as improved and clarified language in the national agreement. But I want you all to understand that NOTHING is a done deal until we make our agreed-upon recommended presentations and you all have voted on these recommendations.

We, your elected representatives, have fought hard on all of the sub-group teams to keep our promise to you of no concessions and to represent you to the best of our abilities!

Reaching agreement is not easy and there were some caucuses where we had to take time out to understand each other and understand our brother and sister coalition unions so we could be sure to respect all needs and not violate any one's contract.

UNDERSTANDING IS NOT ALWAYS EASY, but the Bible says it is a must!

When we meet in our next session we will be talking about economics, which is not only money but benefits as well.

I would like to take this time to commend and tell you about your elected observers. Some did not understand what was involved when they raised their hands or stepped up to be on the local bargaining team. They did not know and understand how hard it is to:
Sit
Sit still
Sit and take notes
Sit and write notes for someone else to ask your questions
Sit for hours
Sit in uncomfortable chairs

As hard as that has turned out to be, our UHW observers have done an outstanding job sitting (after a Continental breakfast at 8 am) from 9am to 4pm, then after dinner sitting through a caucus debrief until sometimes 8 pm at night. Then it's right back up the next morning after little sleep. Plus, no overtime! THAT IS DEDICATION!

So I would like every one one of you this week to go up to your elected bargaining representatives and give them a hug. Let them know you appreciate what they are doing for all of us.

Because when this round of National Bargaining is over....they will begin Local bargaining.

Our UHW bargaining team will be the most well-informed bargaining team ever in the history of SEIU Kaiser Bargaining Teams, because they have witnessed firsthand the long and hard path we took to get to local bargaining.

To the entire UHW National Bargaining team including observers: GO TEAM YOU ARE AWESOME!!

Ms Shirlee Anne Shirley
Worry looks around
Sorry looks back
Faith looks up!
AMEN..........

It's a new week!

We are in the 2nd day of the second round of bargaining. Teams are bonding and agreeing or working on agreeing on common interests and how to get there.
On my PSP team we have found many ways to articulate our concerns and the rational behind the concerns. Everyone is respectful even if they don't agree. Labor and management hear each other out. Then in our caucus we remind ourselves as a labor coalition, why we are here.

We are here to enhance wages, reconfirm long term job security for our members, protect our benefits!

NO CONCESSIONS!

Our elected observers are doing a great job also and I believe when time comes for local bargaining it won't be a long drawn out process because Kaiser sees all of us working together for a common positive outcome for our members.
I hear all about the craziness going on out there, while we are up here, but know we understand it is hard fighting windmills, but you have to guys. Stay stickered up, stand solidly together, stay prayed up and stay positive. Stick to the facts.
DON'T GET CAUGHT UP WITH THE NONSENSE!
Know that we are "in it to win it" "Don't take our stuff"
We need you to be there for us as we stay focused on the positives also.

Yours in Solidarity

Ms Shirlee Anne Shirley

A positive and strong day 4

Well today was far from boring! Real engagement on both sides today! The conversations and discussions were rich and engaging as each side reported out the results of their brainstorming caucus. We found lots of common ground. However, we also had many variations on how to get an agreed upon solution.

So as we go home today to prepare for next session, we are mindful of the needs and desires of our constituents and the promise of standing strong for you.

You all stand strong! Continue to fly our colors! Continue to stay focused on the positive outcomes!

We will continue to strategically fight for a win, win and bring home the GOLD!

Shirlee Anne Shirley

Bored to Tears But Ready to Bring Home THE GOLD!

After early breakfast, the meeting started at 8:30 with a review of the rules of engagement for Common Issues Committee members on the four subgroups:

• Workforce Planning & Development
• Attendance/Time off
  
• Labor Management Partnership
• Performance and Improvement and Sharing

Observers were allowed to choose which group they would like to monitor.

As usual we are starting slow, but there will be pressure as we get closer to our end date to move more rapidly. However because of the lack of information that should have already been provided, it really slows us down. RAI, a mediation consulting company, has mediated our Partnership negotiations since 1997. Surely training could have been done as an entire group on Monday, instead of today. Each of the groups were trained in IBN (Interest Based Negotiations), which we know as IBPS (Interest Based Problem Solving). This training is new for a few, but a refresher for most. Would have been better to have done this training earlier with the entire group.

After lunch......we split into the four subgroups.

In the Performance and Improvement and Sharing subgroup, our discussions were about performance: it is how we take care of our patients. We in the Labor Caucus believe if management listened to the people who actually do the work, that would be a great start. But do we all have the same understanding of performance? In the National Agreement on page 29, it speaks on our commitment to performance improvement by simplifying work flow, eliminating unnecessary redundant tasks, and finding creative ways to resolve issues. Conclusion: we need to implement what was already in the National Agreement since 2000. Everyone signed off on it.....let's DO IT!

WE CANNOT IMPROVE PERFORMANCE when management cuts staff with the same expectation of better patient care! There was tremendous, heated discussion around this fact in the caucus, and it was clear all unions in all regions echoed this sentiment.

We also discussed how the Performance Sharing Program needs to be revamped.

We will resume our caucuses tomorrow at 8:30 AM! God knows my brain does not focus until 10 AM after 2 cups of Irish Cream Coffee!

Stand together in solidarity, focus on the positives and the facts till we bring home the GOLD!

Ms Shirlee

You should have been here day two

Well, we started at 10 AM this morning with a coalition meeting for the entire elected bargaining team, local and national. In depth discussions took place on four bargaining points: Wages, Workforce Planning and Development, Performance and Improvement Sharing, and True Partnership. Our walkaway agreement was this: focus on the positive and don't get side- tracked.

Then in the afternoon the entire group got together. John August introduced over 200 labor, management, and physician leaders from across the country. This was the first time in national bargaining for Hawaii and Moreno Valley!

Bernard Tyson from Kaiser then spoke about the fact that our mission has not changed and that Kaiser continues to provide the most affordable care and the best service to our members. Later there was an in-depth conversation on Unit Based Teams and their value. There are 82,000 employees on 2600 teams successfully driving performance.

Kaiser then talked about the 8.4 million lost jobs in America and the impact on Kaiser and the unions. The coalition shared our strategy for success: investing in front line workers and understanding the value compass which reminds us why we come to work--to provide patients with quality care, affordable care, great service, and to make Kaiser the best place to work. Patients receive the benefits of this: Improved attendance means that EVERYONE comes to work and has all the tools they need to get the job done using a team concept with the patient ALWAYS as the focus. Departments with functional teams have fantastically positive results. That is a proven fact.

Dave Regan spoke about how we as a coalition along with Kaiser need to make change happen--change that forces the external world to recognize that great patient care and preventative care should be rewarded and recognized by the political decision makers. There are 32 million people out there about to get healthcare and KP should be the first in line because they are the best model in America for healthcare.

Dave's speech invoked passion in the room because people love his no-nonsense, straight talking, "Mr Smith Goes to Washington" type of delivery! By the conclusions, many of the 300 people in the room rose to applaud this unprecedented frankness.

Kathy Sackman lamented the fact there is not enough publicity about the great works of the UBT's. There are amazing successes happening all over Kaiser--positive results that have gotten Kaiser recognition across the country. Because Kaiser is one of the four top hospital in the country, Kathy Sackman feels there should be more awareness regarding these remarkable teams. You know that Kaiser patients and employees are thriving due to preventative care.

Our SEIU-UHW debrief session afterwards was positive. We made it clear that we will stand together, stay focused, and bring a great contract home to you.

Ms. Shirlee

Our first day!

It's the day before Kaiser bargaining starts, and we got an introduction to the elected Common Interests Committee (CIC) and our elected Local Bargaining Team members who are attending as observers all entire bargaining sessions (FIRST TIME EVER!).

Here are some highlights from today:

• There was an overview of the 2005 and 2008 bargaining. This was new information for some and a refresher for others.
  
• There are 95 thousand union members in the coalition, and approximately 45 thousand are SEIU-UHW. When you include Local 49 and Local 105, that brings us to a little over 50 thousand SEIU members represented. Knowing that the 95 thousand Kaiser union members are part of the 31 unions in the coalition is awesome and historical for hospital sectors across the country.
• The local bargaining team will attend sessions as observers and be a part of any UHW caucus. This was agreed upon so the team would have firsthand knowledge of what is going on. We will all be knowledgeable, versed and ready to go when we start local bargaining. All voting will be done by CIC members, with input from the observers.
• There was a healthy conversation about what the new healthcare reform bill means to Kaiser and her unions. We want to know what Kaiser's plans are to get new members that will come about because of the healthcare reform--members that will create more union jobs and job security for us. And what about the 6 million people right here in California that Arnold Schwarzenegger is is talking to the Obama administration about? What is Kaiser's strategy to acquire some of those customers?
• We had a break out about generating and creating positive conversations in the facilities. Here were the point made: Purple up, fly your colors proudly and be seen let our folks know we ARE HERE; UHW leadership should get out to more membership meetings; Stewards should stand up be heard; Don't waste time arguing about the negatives--negative people who support nuhw intentionally distract us from getting our message out! Stay focused on consistent messaging that focuses on the positives of a good contract and the gains of sticking together? That should be our only focal point! Share with each other what works in your facility.

Our collective bargaining goals remain the same:

• No concessions: No monetary increases in our medical benefits.
• Expectation to win decent wage raises and keep income security
• Guarantee job security by having Kaiser deal differently with the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions.

We have not forgotten our theme song from 2000: "WHO LET THE DOGS OUT!"

Shirlee Anne Shirley