Job Security

The job security we’ve won at Kaiser has always been a crucial part of what makes Kaiser a great place to work. As Kaiser co-workers, we knew that our employment was protected and that we had access to the support and training that we needed to continue our careers.

Unfortunately, in August 2009 SEIU-UHW signed a layoff agreement with management that makes it easier for managers to eliminate our positions. The agreement gave management the right to lay us off, change seniority provisions of our contract, and reduce the health benefits we receive as part of our severance package.

SEIU officials signed this side deal without ever discussing it with Kaiser employees. In fact, they tried to hide the agreement from us for weeks, while they asked us to picket against the layoffs they had already agreed to.

SEIU's side-deal on layoffs has had real consequences for Kaiser workers, even those of us who haven't been laid off. Many workers were transferred into new positions with lower pay, less seniority, or fewer hours, or have even had to convert to on-call status..

Under SEIU's layoff agreement, Kaiser management also used the threat of layoffs to change our jobs for the worse. For example, SEIU-UHW's 2009 Pharmacy Agreement changed good, stable jobs into flex positions, where managers can constantly change an employee's hours and work location.

As Kaiser co-workers, we have the strength to secure our jobs. We've done it before — before SEIU officials took over our bargaining committee, NUHW's leaders and negotiators made sure no one was ever laid off.

And now that Kaiser RNs and Professionals in Southern California are part of NUHW, they've won 171 new positions.