1st day of bargaining!

Ready . . . set . . . go!

The message is out! We are not backing down!

1) Protect our benefits!

2) Win raises!

3) Guarantee long-term job security!

We will officially begin interest-based bargaining in the morning, focusing on Workforce Planning and Development, Attendance Time Off, Performance and Improvement and Sharing, and Labor Management Partnership.

Kaiser management started off by sharing their economic sob story about losses and more losses. It's perfectly clear why they're telling us all this: they want to increase our healthcare costs and take away our benefits.

Healthcare reform has passed and the President of the United States agrees with Kaiser Permanente's healthcare model. Kaiser is at the forefront of health reform. We all want Kaiser Permanente to strive to be the healthcare leaders of the future by bringing those 32 million uninsured to Kaiser. SEIU-UHW wants to embark on healthcare reform with Kaiser. But we can only do that if we nail down a strong contract that protects all our benefits.

The message from Dave Regan was clear: if you want to be at the forefront of healthcare in the future, work with us instead of working against us! Kaiser Permanente, do you want to achieve results or do you want to continue with the same old rhetoric? 121 SEIU-UHW members are here to bargain for results, not hear a bunch of rhetoric!

So members of UHW, show your support and spread the message to all union members and leaders of Kaiser Permanente: NO TAKE AWAYS AND WIN RAISES!

One of my favorite quotes is by Cesar Chavez: “The fight is never about grapes or lettuce. It is always about people." Let's remind the Kaiser Permanente leaders that the fight is about us, the union members. The people!

Talk to you again tomorrow!

Silvia Torres-Limon