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Supervisors asked to oppose Kaiser outsourcing after union warns of 900 statewide layoffs; local staff face Oct. 5 cutoffs
Summary
Supervisor Norman Yee introduced a resolution urging Kaiser Permanente to protect union jobs after the health system announced plans to outsource certain positions. Union members and affected employees testified about the impact of planned cuts; local Kaiser shuttle and parking workers face a proposed Oct. 5 outsourcing date.
Supervisor Norman Yee introduced a resolution asking the Board of Supervisors to urge Kaiser Permanente to protect about 900 service jobs statewide that the union says Kaiser plans to outsource and to protect 16 local parking and shuttle positions scheduled for possible outsourcing on Oct. 5.
Union representatives from SEIU United Healthcare Workers (UHW) and affected Kaiser employees testified about the potential hardship of outsourced positions, citing Kaiser’s reported $29 billion in reserves and roughly $3.8 billion in profits in 2017. Several impacted Kaiser employees described long tenures (one driver said she had worked 29 years) and said outsourcing would threaten family stability and health care access.
Yee said he would ask the board to pass a resolution opposing the outsourcing and to stand in solidarity with affected workers; cosponsors included Supervisors Feuer, Mandelman, Ronen and Peskin and Supervisor Safaie added his name as a cosponsor during the meeting. The resolution asks Kaiser to retain employees and to negotiate in good faith with unions.
Why it matters: Outsourcing would shift work from established employees with benefits to contracted providers and rideshare services, union leaders said, potentially lowering wages and benefits for transportation and support services. Kaiser is a nonprofit health system that receives public policy attention because of its size and local footprint.
Details: Unions said Kaiser has substantial reserves and profits and can afford to keep positions; union leaders urged the board to act before the Oct. 5 date when local parking/shuttle workers may receive notices. The board did not vote on the resolution at the Sept. 11 meeting; the item was introduced and cosponsors gathered.
Ending: Union leaders and affected workers asked the board to take up the resolution and send a strong message to Kaiser to preserve jobs and maintain service standards.
