• Protecting their pension & Retiree Healthcare.
• Keeping the same  defined-benefits pension plan with no takeaways!
• Raises: 2% a year for each of the three years of the contract.
• No Local Bargaining
• Many other improvements!

To ratify this contract, Kaiser members must now vote on them during the week of May 21-25 (Full summaries will be available & bargaining team members will be on hand to answer questions).

“Hanging on to all of our benefits and making sure that everyone receives a cost of living raise each year of this contract was not easy—especially for the NW Region. Kaiser clearly wanted to increase co-pays for healthcare, change retirement benefits, give lump sums rather than raises, and open our local contract to take away rights. It is because we have strong leaders that are willing to take action together and that 50,000 SEIU members in the Coalition stuck together with the other unions that we were able to achieve this great agreement in these tough times. If your benefits and wages matter to you…it’s critical that you attend a contract vote!”

-Meg Niemi, President of SEIU Local 49 and Kaiser National Bargaining Representative

VOTE TIMES

MONDAY, MAY 21
KSMC
6:30am-8:30am, Trailer
11:30am-5pm, Trailer
6:30pm-8:30pm, Trailer
10:30pm-11:30pm, Trailer

INTERSTATE
11:30am-2:30pm
EIN 1A

TOWN HALL
6pm – 8pm
Conference Rooms C & D

LONGVIEW
6pm-8pm
Training Conference Room

TUESDAY, MAY 22
INTERSTATE
11:00am-2:30pm
Central LLA

SALEM
Noon-2pm
Skyline TCM1
6pm – 8pm
N. Lancaster Room D
(by employee lunch room)

SALMON CREEK
11:30am-1pm
Training Room 3

WEDNESDAY, MAY 23
KPB
Noon-3pm
Rooms 3A & B

CPK
11:30am-2pm
Conference Room 6
6pm-8pm
Conference Room 6

ROCKWOOD
11:30am-2:30pm
Conference Room A & B

THURSDAY, MAY 24
WESTSIDE
6pm -8pm
BVTN Room B

KSMC
6:30am-8:30am, Trailer
11:30am-5pm, Trailer
6:30pm-8:30pm, Trailer
10:30pm-11:30pm, Trailer

FRIDAY, MAY 25
SEIU 49 Union Hall
Vote Count
8am -11am

“CMH management and their lawyer are saying I should pay more for my health care when I am already paying as much as I can afford.  The hospital can afford our current plan but would rather use that money to boost their bottom line.  Our hospital should be putting patients and caregivers before profits,” said Gena Mundo, Laboratory Aide who pays nearly $600 a month for health care coverage for herself and her children.

CMH has seen healthy profit margins and are also protected from state budget cuts because of their critical access designation.  Yet despite this, the hospital is playing through the same scenario as many corporations in America; making cuts because they want to, not because they have to.  Both the member elected bargaining team and workers at CMH have been baffled by the excuses that management has used in trying to justify increasing caregiver health care costs, while at the same time reducing their benefit coverage.

“At first they said it was because they didn’t have enough money, then it was health care reform, at least now their finally being honest. They have the money and it has nothing to do with health care reform, they want to increase our health care costs and cut our benefits because everyone else is doing it,” said Connie Dubb, CT Technologist, Imaging Department, Columbia Memorial Hospital and Bargaining Team Member.
Workers at CMH go back to the bargaining table soon after the picket and steadfast in their efforts to get a fair contract that provides affordable healthcare.

Local 49 Janitors participated in the game to raise awareness of their efforts to win a fair contract with local building owners.  Janitor’s priorities include maintaining affordable healthcare for themselves and families, sick days so that they can care for themselves and families and wage increases that keep up with the cost of living.

SEIU Local 49 janitor’s goals include:
• Wage increases to keep up with the cost of living
• Health care (for ALL members and our children)
• Sick days
• Respect
• Maintain and protect our workplace rights

Check Out The Press Coverage
Oregon Live: http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2012/04/in_downtown_portland_tax_day_d.html

OPB, text, radio clip and separate video: http://news.opb.org/article/protesters-call-out-rich-over-tax-loopholes/ (NPR pushed too:

Demotix photo album: http://www.demotix.com/news/1161866/occupy-portland-tax-dodgerball-final-tax-return-day

Our Facebook album (please like it): https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.340693395992554.80713.183790891682806&type=3

For more information visit Good Jobs Strong Communities

Over the last few years we have heard management say over and over again… our union benefits at Kaiser are not sustainable… they cost too much and are higher than our competition (Providence and Legacy)… in bargaining we are hearing the same thing.

The fact is: Kaiser Permanente is the only private sector health care system in Oregon or SW Washington where employees have retiree healthcare benefits.

The best way to protect our affordable healthcare and our retiree healthcare benefits is by taking action together.

The best way to protect our affordable healthcare and our retiree healthcare benefits is by taking action together. Here are 3 things you can do:

1) JOIN US AT REGIONAL BARGAINING UPDATE MEETINGS (See Below)

2) STAY INFORMED
TALK To A Shop Steward or Bargaining Team Member
VISIT The Labor Management Partnership Website
GET  Text Alerts from SEIU Local 49

3) SIGN UP FOR COPE. With our COPE fund we pull our resources together to help elect policymakers that will stand up for good jobs and make affordable healthcare a priority. Talk to your steward or organizer for more information or to sign-up.
_______________________________________________________________________________________

REGIONAL SEIU 49 BARGAINING UPDATE MEETINGS – DATES HAVE CHANGED!

PORTLAND
Wednesday, May 2nd
SEIU Local 49 Ballroom (3536 SE 26th Ave.)
8am & 7pm

SALEM
Wednesday, May 2nd
Izzy’s Pizza (2205 Lancaster Drive NE)
7pm

WASHINGTON
Thursday, May 3rd
Round Table Pizza (13009 NE Hwy 99, Suite 205, Vancouver, WA)
7pm

WEST SIDE
Thursday, May 3rd
Izzy’s Pizza (11900 SW Broadway Street, Beaverton, Or)
7pm

In an impressive show of solidarity pro-union/prochoice community members and PPCW workers stood together at the downtown Hilton on Wednesday to  rally for good jobs and quality care.   Bad weather didn’t dampen our spirits as we made sure our voices were heard loud and clear inside Planned Parenthoods National Conference!

“It’s a great feeling to see Planned Parenthood workers and supporters join together to send a message.  Today, we said that to deliver quality care, PPCW needs to provide liveable wages, affordable health care, and a voice in decision-making for staff,” said Peggy McGuire-Dale, Clinician.

“We’re here today because we’ve been bargaining since November 1, 2011. And while we’ve made some progress, we have yet to see our most serious concerns addressed in any meaningful way. We’re here
to show management that we’re serious about reaching a fair contract,” said Skye Frome,RN

The decertification election, initiated by minority of workers at the hospital was scheduled for March 21^st.

The ruling by the NLRB, effectively post-pones the election and initiates an investigation into the claims that hospital management at St. Charles had acted illegally during the elections.  If hospital management is found guilty, corrective actions as deemed appropriate by the Board, will be taken.

The elected bargaining team at St. Charles Bend will continue negotiations and has set dates for April 3 & 4, 2012.  They will move forward to settle a contract that improves patient care, creates good jobs, ensures job security and puts an end to contracting out jobs to the lowest bidder

“I’m out here today because I’m tired of choosing between a gallon of gas and a carton of milk.  We’re asking for fairness.  I’m worth more than a penny,” said Michelle Hilpert, Bargaining Team Member and Med/Surg at AGH.

Despite SHS’ profitability and its sizeable pay increases to executives*, the hospital is proposing a minimal 1% pay increase for caregivers in the community and has refused to budge on proposals that would assist workers in gaining access to affordable healthcare.  Susan Cook, a Unit Secretary at Good GSRMC was shocked to hear that Samaritan was offering a 1 percent raise for next year. “This hospital system is making money and paying its executives very well. I have worked at Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center for 15 year and think it is important that Samaritan recognizes the hard work we perform by offering us liveable wages.”

“My family is part of this community,” said SEIU Local 49 President, Meg Niemi, “My grandmother, like so many in this community, depend upon the quality care hospital workers here provide.”

For more information and videos of the this year’s march click here!