CKPU Member Support Proposals to Kaiser Permanente

2020 COVID-19 Employee Support Proposals

 

None of these proposals prevent local unions from maintaining and utilizing existing local contract agreement provisions or other side letters agreed upon at a local level that may provide additional benefits or coverage.

 

Paid Administrative Time

All employees shall be eligible to receive a one-time allotment of up to 160 hours of paid administrative leave prorated based on the employee’s FTE status (full-time, part-time, short-hour status).  All hours will be paid at the employee’s regular pay and all benefits and seniority will be preserved.

  • All hours must be used by December 31, 2020, or the allotment shall expire;
  • The hours may be used at any time including intermittently, either before or after the use of any accrued leave or other paid leave, at the request of the employee
  • Exempt employees who do not accrue sick or vacation leave are eligible for the onetime allotment of the paid administrative leave.

 

The paid administrative leave hours may only be used for the following purposes:

  • When an employee is unable to work due to the employee’s own COVID-19-related illness or that of a family member;
  • Employee is self- isolating due to being part of a high-risk group (over 60 years of age and/or has chronic health conditions)
  • When an employee is unable to work because a COVID-19-related school or daycare closure requires the employee to be at home with a child or dependent,
  • Are not sick themselves but have caregiving responsibilities (for older family members, members of their immediate household or other dependents)
  • When an employee is unable to get to work due to travel restrictions in place because of COVID-19

 

Bonus

At the end of April 2020 a bonus shall be provided to all employees. Full-time employees will receive $1,000 and part-time employees $500. For the purposes of this bonus, part-time benefited employees, short hour, on-call, per-diem or any other non-benefited employee will receive either the part-time or full-time amount based on their hours worked between February 15th and April 15th.

 

Lodging & Meals

Employees concerned about their safety or the safety of their family—either from potential COVID-19 exposure or fatigue—after a shift worked will have the option of lodging provided by the employer. A list of lodging options the employer has secured will be provided to the unions for review. Any concerns about access to lodging or quality of lodging will be addressed by the parties.

Upon employee request, the employer will provide meals to employees working beyond their regular shift or hours.

 

Employee Safety

  • Testing for COVID-19 will be provided to all employees.
  • Upon employee request, re-testing will be available.
  • During the course of this COVID-19 pandemic, Kaiser will make every effort to allow employees to work from home. Barriers to working from home will be discussed with labor partners with the goal of solving issues to maximize the work from home options.

 

Worker’s Compensation

Employees unable to work due to COVID-19 or resulting complications will be assumed to have contracted the illness while at work for the purposes of Worker’s Compensation. Kaiser will work to ensure employees who file for workers comp due to COVID-19 related issues have a streamlined and expeditious process and will affirmatively support employees during this process. Should an employee’s worker’s compensation claim related to COVID-19 be denied, Kaiser will make the employee whole including wages and benefits.

 

Child/Dependent Care Assistance

Employees with minor dependent children or adults meeting the criteria for dependent status (per IRS criteria) who are required to work during the COVID-19 pandemic shall receive $100 per shift per day worked to help offset the costs of hiring care providers. This will remain in place until such time as regular school resumes or until the parties mutually agree to discontinue – whichever is applicable.

 

Maintaining hours for Per Diem/Casual/On Call/Short hour employees

For the duration of this crisis, Per Diems/Casual/On-Calls/Short hour employees shall receive scheduled hours or pay equivalent to the average hours worked over the past 12 months