Oregon & SW Washington – The UFCW Local 555 bargaining teams for both Imaging and Pharmacy met with local Kaiser Permanente leadership on October 11th and 12th, as the Pharmacy Technicians’ Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) Strike continues.
Kaiser chose to present an insulting, out-of-touch proposal, offering only 3% wage increases for each year of the agreement and several takeaways. The Union is bargaining for a 43% wage increase over 4 years, which will allow Kaiser to recruit and retain the best healthcare professionals in the area.
“As Pharmacy Technicians and Clerks have been out on the picket line on a ULP strike, we have heard of prescription mix-ups, worker burnout, and patients waiting hours to get to the counter just to be told that their medication is out of stock. Kaiser Permanente should never have let it get this far, and needs to get real at the bargaining table, recognize the critical work their employees do, and come up with an offer that keeps these knowledgeable, hard-working professionals with Kaiser.” – Dan Clay, President, UFCW Local 555.
Kaiser Permanente has closed multiple Pharmacy locations due to staffing issues as the ULP Strike continues, and the ones that are open are struggling to meet the needs of patients.
Local 555 is also aware of complaints to the Oregon Board of Pharmacy pertaining to unlicensed technicians working at Kaiser facilities.
“We return to the bargaining table on Monday. The situation at Kaiser is continuing to deteriorate, placing patients at risk. Kaiser Permanente needs to get serious about dealing with Unfair Labor Practices, protecting patient care, and getting our Pharmacy Technicians back to work.” – Miles Eshaia, Communications Coordinator, UFCW Local 555.
The Union has given notice that a Pharmacy ULP strike will occur from October 23rd to November 18th, 2023. In addition, our members working under the Imaging Services contract would be able to take actions as soon as their contract is set to expire on November 1st.