California – Hard Work and Solidarity Win Contracts, Overcome Challenges
Members of United Nurses Associations of California/ Union of Health Care Professionals (UNAC/UHCP) just ratified a new three-year contract with Kaiser Permanente after months of negotiations.
AFSCME members in the Golden State have fought successfully for new contracts, protected the state’s elderly and the disabled, and even insourced a group of university employees.
New contracts were the goal of two groups of AFSCME members: blue-collar workers in the city of San Diego and nurses employed at Kaiser facilities throughout Southern California.
“Negotiations were tough for us because anti-worker politicians continue to demonize employees and the City Council refused to put any money on the table,” says sanitation driver and Local 127 Pres. Joan Raymond. “But we gave no concessions for the first time in six years.”
Following ratification in July, more than 12,000 members of United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals (UNAC/UHCP) have a new three-year contract with Kaiser Permanente in Southern California that includes yearly raises and protects their pensions.
AFSCME home care providers stop additional cuts to California’s most vulnerable residents during a 10-day protest at the Capitol.
Janet Kazibwe, an RN in the Kaiser Downey telemetry unit, credited heavy member activism before and during bargaining with preventing any losses.
AFSCME home care providers and allies were successful in their fight to block additional budget cuts to the state’s elderly and the disabled. “Our message was heard loud and clear: Home care saves money and saves lives,” says Doug Moore, executive director of UDW/AFSCME Local 3930 and AFSCME International vice president. “We delivered 75,000 petitions to the governor’s office signed by the community, home care consumers and providers to win this victory.”
Finally, after a four-year battle to end the outsourcing of janitorial services at the University of California in Irvine (UCI), 94 custodial workers were officially classified this spring as university employees and recognized as Local 3299 members. This victory followed an agreement last year between Local 3299 and UCI to end the outsourcing of all custodial duties on campus, and for the university to hire the full-time custodians.
