upsc officers will hold 3 information meetings about our contract tentative agreements:
Thursday December 2nd 7:30 p.m. Join Zoom Meeting with upsc officers here
Saturday December 4th 10:00 a.m. Join Zoom Meeting with upsc officers here
Sunday December 5th 7:30 p.m. Join Zoom Meeting with upsc officers here
upsc officers will hold 3 information meetings about our contract tentative agreements:
Thursday December 2nd 7:30 p.m. Join Zoom Meeting with upsc officers here
Saturday December 4th 10:00 a.m. Join Zoom Meeting with upsc officers here
Sunday December 5th 7:30 p.m. Join Zoom Meeting with upsc officers here
View the signed UPSC Tentative Agreements here.
UPSC is only 1 of 3 affiliates within UNAC’s 6 affiliates that opened their contracts for local bargaining. Voting for all the other 4 affiliates is much simpler. They will only have to decide on the National–either accept or reject.
UNAC has mailed postcards stating National Bargaining Contract Ratification Vote will be held from Tues. 12/7/2021 at 12:01am to Weds. 12/8/2021 at 11:59pm (PST)
Why? As explained by Hal Ruddick, executive director of the Alliance, the National is actually an Appendix of your local contract.
Therefore, a “Yes” vote means you are voting to accept BOTH the National and the Local contracts and a “No” vote means you are rejecting BOTH the National and the Local contracts.
What if:
1) UPSC votes yes and National is approved: We all go home and live with the consequences in our daily workplace for the next four years. Bargain again in 2025.
2) UPSC votes No and National is approved. UPSC is bound by the National. Local bargaining resumes until another Local Tentative Agreement is reached.
3) UPSC votes No and National is rejected. Both National and local bargaining resume.
4) UPSC votes yes and National is rejected. National goes back to the bargaining table until a new National Tentative Agreement is reached. It is unclear whether UPSC has to vote again, probably yes beause there is a new National Tentative Agreement.
We will also make available for review the UPSC Tentative Agreements via Memberlink (dependent on UNAC communications), the UPSC website or both. For now, mark your calendars for the Zoom meetings to be held by your UPSC Officers:
Lawrence Louie-President
Nancy Magnante-AmCare VP
Daniel Szeto-Inpatient VP
Michael Mattes-Outpatient VP
Max Wang-Secretary
Susan Chmait-Treasurer
Rebecca Myung-Steward Coordinator North
Kathie Varisco-Steward Coordinator South
Contact UPSC Officers here
“KP is currently comparing our wages to a flawed market study, claiming we are overpaid. If we accept a 2-tier wage system, they will be able to say we are overpaid compared to our very own coworkers in EVERY future negotiation. (And why wouldn’t those future pharmacists vote away our retirement to earn themselves pay increases? If we don’t stand up for them now, do we expect them to stand up for us in the future??)This contract is NOT JUST about future employees, it is sets the stage for ALL of OUR contract negotiations to come.
KP has never “given” away great benefits packages. Our unions have fought for them, time and again, through the years. It’s OUR turn to fight for our profession.
Let’s keep KP the best place to work by asking them to invest in patient care! Please join me on the picket line at 7am November 15th!!”
“We support the strike because we are deeply concerned with the direction of Kaiser in regards to patient safety.
As a seasoned pharmacist at Kaiser, I am being pushed beyond my limits. My commitment is to provide the best care and do no harm to my patients. When there is a potential for patient harm, it is my corresponding responsibility to involve other healthcare professionals. However, my performance is evaluated on how fast and how many prescriptions I dispense. It is reasonable to conclude that this work environment can lead to mistakes and patient harm.
We strike because we are exhausted with the understaffing due to the inappropriate work ratio.
We strike out of fear for our patients’ safety.
We strike to support our colleagues’ calls for Kaiser to treat us with professional respect, fairness and dignity.”
“It’s so important we stand in solidarity for this strike, as this will be a defining moment in our history. Other large health care systems are closely watching to see how KP and our 30,000 strong union will handle this strike. Kaiser is a leader in the healthcare industry and is very influential in setting industry standards and wages.
If we let KP create this 2 tier system, other employers will follow suit, which will lead to a domino effect and eventually drive down wages for all healthcare workers across the industry. This is especially important for pharmacists, in light of the now 15 pharmacy schools that have opened in California, eventually leading to a surplus of pharmacists looking for employment and driving wages down even further.
This is one of the best chances we have to secure and prevent these lowered wages — we must stand next to the front line nurses and other health care professionals, who have sacrificed so much, in solidarity and as long as it takes, just as they stood next to us to win our pensions back.”
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Together we support our fellow UPSC union brother and sister members as we work in Partnership with our employer to ensure our Contract is upheld. Click above if you’ve been given an assignment which you believe is potentially unsafe for you or your patients.
We know our patients are not the only ones who need care. UPSC is proud to give back to those facing difficult times in our communities and neighborhoods. Click above to see how the donations of time, supplies and money from our UPSC members have helped our communities.
Supporting and defending our pharmacy profession in State government secures our future. UPSC members can bring about legislative change in many ways. Click above to see the gains we have won and how you can become involved.
Stewards are the “eyes and ears” of UPSC, keeping track for the union of what’s happening on a day-to-day basis. Stewards make sure that the union members in their pharmacy locations are kept informed about what’s going on within the union. Per our National Contract, Steward time is paid by Kaiser.
Learn your rights and benefits by reading your contract! All UPSC members should have received a physical copy of our contract in September 2020. If not, contact President Lawrence Louie upsc.lawrence.louie@gmail.com
See something that violates our National or UPSC Contract? First, document the discussion with your manager and then escalate to UPSC by either filling out the UPSC Staffing Objection Form or Contacting us directly.
During this COVID-19 pandemic, UPSC pharmacists continue to work diligently at a safe speed to ensure the safe and optimal health care for all patients, while achieving and maintaining the highest standards of pharmacy practice.
Employees have rights during investigatory meeting/interviews. These rights are called
“Weingarten Rights” based on a 1975 Supreme Court decision.
If called into a meeting with your supervisor or manager to investigate a situation which might result in discipline, you have specific representational rights and should state:
“If this discussion could in any way lead to my being disciplined or terminated, I respectfully request that my UPSC steward be present at the meeting. Without representation present, I choose not to respond to any questions or statements.”