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Clackamas County employees press commissioners over retroactive COLA, Kaiser premium spike; mediation scheduled April 8
Summary
Multiple county employees and union leaders urged commissioners to approve a retroactive cost-of-living adjustment and to address a sharp Kaiser Permanente premium increase; commissioners said mediation is scheduled April 8 and that Kaiser premium increases will be reimbursed once a contract is settled.
Dozens of Clackamas County employees and representatives of the Clackamas County Employees Association told the Board of County Commissioners on April 3 that proposed contract terms and a sudden Kaiser Permanente premium increase are endangering families and county services.
Speakers said the county notified employees in December that retroactive cost-of-living adjustments (COLA) budgeted for 2024 would not be paid unless contracts were ratified by an arbitrary year-end deadline. They also described a Kaiser Permanente monthly premium that rose from about $88.46 to about $303.20 with two business days’ notice, leaving many employees facing surprise out-of-pocket costs.
The testimony came as employees and union leaders urged the board to finalize a contract that would restore retroactive COLA payments and stabilize benefits. Commissioners and county staff said negotiations are constrained by bargaining rules, that mediation is set for April 8, and that the county will reimburse employees for increased Kaiser premiums dating back to…
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