EXPOSING THE BIG LIE IN KAISER’S CONTRACT PROPOSAL
In National Bargaining, Kaiser executives have proposed massive cuts — some of which they say would “only impact future employees.”
This is a classic anti-worker tactic that employers use to divide workers, slash benefits, and lower wages for ALL workers.
Q: What cuts is Kaiser proposing for future employees?
A: Kaiser’s new contract proposal demands major cuts for all new hires:
- Far lower wage rates than we have
- Replacement of pensions with risky 401k plans
- Gutting of retiree medical benefits
- Fewer days off each year
Q: Why should I care about these cuts if they only impact future employees?
A: Because these cuts wouldn’t only harm future employees — they would harm you too. Kaiser executives know that every year hundreds of employees leave Kaiser and will be replaced by workers with lower pay, no pensions, bad retiree medical benefits, and less leave time. By the time we come to the bargaining table for our next contract there will be thousands of workers who don’t have the same pay and benefits we do. Then Kaiser will demand the same cuts from us, knowing that many within our own ranks are not going to fight to keep what they do not even have. Greedy corporations have used this divide-and-conquer scheme time and time again.
Q: Eliminating pensions for new hires won’t impact my pension, right?
A: Wrong. Pension funds need more active workers than retirees to be healthy. As more people retire and funding stops coming in from active employees, pension costs skyrocket — destabilizing benefits for everyone. So Kaiser’s proposal puts the retirement benefits we have all worked so hard for at serious risk.
Q: Does Kaiser need these cuts to keep their product affordable?
A: No! There is no financial justification for this attack on workers. Kaiser has made a record profit of $3.2 billion in just the first three months of this year. They are sitting on $31.5 billion in reserves. They gave the CEO a 60% raise to $16 million a year. But frontline workers like us should accept huge cuts? We don’t think so!
Q: What can we do to stop these cuts?
A: Instead of letting Kaiser divide us, let’s unite and get ready to strike if that’s what it takes to defend our families, our futures, and our patients. Sign the strike pledge, join the Kaiser Strong Facebook group, and plan to come out to upcoming actions.