Speaking up pays off, staffing crisis still requires long-term solutions
Thanks to your hard work and advocacy, Alliance members will be receiving two bonus payments this spring, a PSP payout and a Retention bonus.
1. PSP: In March, Alliance members will receive a PSP bonus, even though KP reported they did not meet the financial gate. Historically, when KP did not meet the financial gate, no PSP bonus was paid. In the Alliance agreement, we won language that guarantees $200 per goal at target, if the financial gate is not met. Because of this Alliance bargaining victory, PSP payouts will occur this year. Depending on region and work location, these payments will range between $400 and $1000. Some disputes remain between the Alliance and KP, but this is still an important victory.
2. California state bonus or KP Retention Bonus: Our unions reached out to California legislators last year about the staffing crisis, and the legislature agreed to fund bonus payments of up to $1,500 for members working in onsite health care. Eligibility rules have been set by the state of California. KP will pay this state bonus in April or May once the state releases the money. KP Retention bonus: After months of advocacy by the Alliance, KP has agreed to provide a $500 bonus to workers who do not qualify for the state funded bonus. This will apply to Alliance members outside California as well as members in California not eligible for the state bonus, and will be paid at the same time as the California bonus. (For both the California and the KP retention bonus, employees need to have worked at least 100 hours between July 30 and October 28, 2022.)
These payments are less than our members deserve for their hard work and fall short of what is needed to address the staffing crisis. At a time when KP is reporting its worst financial results in over 20 years, these payments are a sign of the strength of the Alliance, our agreement, and our partnership.
These bonuses are a result of Alliance members mobilizing and speaking out. Our advocacy won this $500 bonus for members outside California, and for about 3,000 Alliance California members who don’t meet state eligibility criteria.
While some of KP’s financial problems are a result of COVID, others are a result of the staffing crisis. As long as KP relies on short-term solutions, KP will be paying exorbitant traveler rates and overtime, and members will work in unacceptable conditions. We have to work together for a real solution.
Today’s workplace is in crisis, and we need a comprehensive, long-term solution including wage adjustments, training programs, and addressing conditions that cause people to quit. While a onetime bonus is a positive step, we know the cure is going to require much more, and we won’t rest until we achieve a full solution for our patients and union members.
Comments