During yesterday’s bargaining session, the Employer provided us with their proposal on Retirement Plans, which contains no changes in current benefits. We have proposed a slight increase in the Employer match, as well as some language allowing an employee’s payments on student loans to substitute for contributions in a 401(k) for the purpose of Employer matching funds.
Kaiser also gave us a revised proposal on Safety with some minor changes. In the afternoon, they gave us a revised proposal on Professional Hours that removed onerous language from their previous proposal, which is a positive movement.
We made a counter on Health & Welfare for Active Employees, lowering our annual limit for dental coverage to $2000 and lifetime limit for orthodontia for each dependent child to $2,000, but preserving our proposal for alternatives to Delta Dental.
After proposals were exchanged and discussed, we provided the Employer with a summary of our recent Patient Care Survey and explained how the responses tie into the proposals we are making in bargaining. We specifically noted the following:
- Our proposal to ensure everyone has enough time in their schedules to complete their work during their scheduled hours is supported by: 74 percent of Kaiser behavioral health professionals responded that they have to work beyond their regular working hours at least once a week because they don’t have time to complete all of their daily tasks. 28 percent reported working 3 or more hours beyond their regular schedule.
- Our proposal to ensure there is an adequate supply of return therapy appointments is supported by: 63 percent of therapists and psychologists in the Psychiatry department reported that they can’t see their patients every two weeks as required by state law.
- Our proposal to ensure that VBH (including V-ADAPT) clinicians have the same protections in the contract as Psychiatry department employees is supported by: 75 percent of (VBH) respondents said that management interferes with or challenges their treatment recommendations in ways that are harmful to patients.
- Our proposals to improve staffing (and our resistance to the Employer’s layoff language) is supported by: 75 percent of Kaiser’s behavioral health professionals surveyed said there wasn’t enough staff in their department to provide appropriate and timely care to patients.
Our presentation centered on our desire to work collaboratively with management to improve patient care and working conditions. Management appeared to be actively listening but we have no illusions that they will change their position at the table based solely on our presentation. We know to push Kaiser management in the right direction that we will have to continue to escalate our collective actions, such as our OTA project.
OTA project
During a caucus we discussed the importance of maximizing participation in our OTA project. Based on both our bargaining survey and our more recent patient care survey, we know an overwhelming majority of clinicians face obstacles to providing appropriate and timely care to patients, including pressure from management to alter treatment plans, especially around frequency.
If we don’t document as a group when these things happen it is as if they don’t exist and allows KP to continue to tell the regulatory agencies, elected officials and the public that they are meeting all requirements and providing excellent patient care. If we do document, we have the ammunition to hold KP accountable and also to move them in bargaining.
We recognize that some of our colleagues may be fearful of retaliation from management if they send their supervisor an Objection to Assignment. This is understandable, as management in many locations has created a culture of intimidation and harassment, using these tactics as a tool to keep control. However, we can seize control when we act together. If we all fill out OTAs, management will not be able to single out any of us.
We can also assure you that it would be illegal for Kaiser to retaliate against anyone for submitting an OTA form to their supervisor and that noone has ever been disciplined by Kaiser, Northern or Southern California, for doing so. Furthermore, we have had instances where submission of legitimate OTAs by multiple clinicians in a department has resulted in positive change. We encourage you to touch base with your steward and your colleagues and make a plan to submit OTA forms at the same time.
