A planned strike by Kaiser Permanente pharmacists was averted early Monday morning, according to the pharmacists union. Guild President John Lee told NBC Bay Area the strike was called off but did not elaborate and said more details would be provided later Monday morning.
Kaiser confirmed a tentative deal was reached at 1 a.m. Monday and released a statement saying the pharmacies would be operating normally.
“We are very pleased to announce that at about 1:00 a.m. this morning, Kaiser Permanente and the Guild for Professional Pharmacists reached a tentative agreement for a new 3-year contract for pharmacists in our Northern California region,” the statement read. “The tentative agreement reflects our respect for Kaiser Permanente pharmacy professionals and the exceptional care they provide and provides industry-leading wage and benefit packages.”
The deal includes the following, according to Kaiser:
- Wage increases: Guaranteed across-the-board wage increases each year through the duration of the three year contract
- Health benefits: No reductions or takeaways to already low-cost family medical and dental coverage with the same low copays for prescriptions and office visits
- Retirement benefits: Maintains generous retirement income benefits and employer-subsidized retiree medical.
- Bonus opportunities: Higher incentive bonus opportunities
- Agreement on important operational matters
Kaiser in a statement earlier this week said it had an offer on the table that keeps its pharmacists among the highest paid in the profession.
Monday’s news comes two days after Kaiser struck a deal with the Alliance of Health Care Unions that affects 50,000 employees.
Source: NBC Bay Area
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