Extended COVID Benefits for Kaiser SEIU Members
Good news! Kaiser agreed to extend the benefits we negotiated through June 14, 2020, including:
- Childcare: up to $300 a week for employees required to work in the facility.
- Hotel rooms: for some employees working long hours or with an at-risk person at home.
- COVID-19 leave: Up to 80 hours for employees who are positive or are sent home as a PUI.
SEIU and the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions told Kaiser that we still need childcare and housing support during the shelter-in-place, and we appreciate it being extended through the end of the school year.We explained to them that it is totally short-sighted to let the additional COVID-19 leave end on June 14 while the pandemic continues. Healthcare workers are at heightened risk for contracting the virus. We expect Kaiser to fully protect the income of any of us who test positive or are sent home as a PUI, and we will continue to fight to make sure this happens.However, we are glad we can continue to use these benefits through June 14.If you are working and believe the safety of your patients, your coworkers, or your own is at risk as a result of inadequate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), take action by filing a complaint with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration with the state where worksite is located:
Oregon: bit.ly/ OROSHAComplaintForm
Washington: bit.ly/WASDOSHComplaintForm
There is a lot of chaos being created by the redeployment, opening and closing due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, and it is challenging. We are proud that with the protection of a union contract we have been able to protect our members’ jobs and not having faced lay-offs or reductions in force.If you have questions please reach out to a steward or contact our Kaiser Union Hotline at kaisermrc@seiu49.org or call 503-236-4949 x220.