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[h=1]Kaiser Permanente strike: 4,000 mental health workers begin 5-day strike[/h]This is quite apparently a simple collective bargaining impasse regarding a new collective bargaining agreement, in which the union is unhappy that the employer won't meet its various compensation demands. The union claims it is all for the patients and their well-being/wait times. The union is lying.
The reason for the strike matters, or at least should matter. Under federal law, unions striking because of economic items (wage and benefit demands) are engaging in an economic strike, and in those cases employers can permanently replace striking workers. If unions are striking because of an alleged unfair labor practice, they cannot be permanently replaced.
This is why unions always pretend the strike is for some reason other than economic items like wage and benefit increases, even when it is clearly as a result of economic items.
I fully believe the company and think the union is lying. We need to make unions follow the NLRA when it comes to strikes. Currently, we don't. We let them play pretend about why they're striking so that they aren't subject to the NLRA's rules. This needs to stop. If they want to strike when negotiations hit impasse, fine, let them, but call it what it is, which is an economic strike.
The CBA, for reference: https://nuhw.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/2015-NUHW-IBHS-Contract.pdf
The reason for the strike matters, or at least should matter. Under federal law, unions striking because of economic items (wage and benefit demands) are engaging in an economic strike, and in those cases employers can permanently replace striking workers. If unions are striking because of an alleged unfair labor practice, they cannot be permanently replaced.
This is why unions always pretend the strike is for some reason other than economic items like wage and benefit increases, even when it is clearly as a result of economic items.
"The union’s principal demands at the bargaining table have not been about improving care and access. Rather, in addition to seeking even higher wages and benefits, the union is demanding changes to performance standards that would reduce, not increase, the availability of mental health care for our patients," a statement from the organization said.
I fully believe the company and think the union is lying. We need to make unions follow the NLRA when it comes to strikes. Currently, we don't. We let them play pretend about why they're striking so that they aren't subject to the NLRA's rules. This needs to stop. If they want to strike when negotiations hit impasse, fine, let them, but call it what it is, which is an economic strike.
The CBA, for reference: https://nuhw.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/2015-NUHW-IBHS-Contract.pdf