"Kaiser did pause the talks, Elissa Harrington, a spokesperson for Kaiser in the East Bay, confirmed in an email. She said the decision came after an unnamed labor leader went outside formal bargaining channels and threatened to release what Kaiser described as damaging information about the company if an agreement was not reached. Harrington said the union has refused to share the information it claims to have."
"With talks at an impasse, Harrington said Kaiser officials believe the union is planning a new strike. Anjetta Thackeray, a spokesperson for the union, flatly denied Kaiser's account. That claim is incorrect, and Kaiser is aware it's incorrect, Thackeray said in an email. There was no blackmail or threat. We'd rather stay focused on what matters: getting to a contract that invests properly in patient care."
Negotiations between Kaiser Permanente and the United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals stopped late last week, raising the risk of another strike by 31,000 Kaiser workers statewide. The union includes about 2,000 rehab therapists, physician assistants, nurse anesthetists and others in Northern California and seeks a new contract with better pay and working conditions. Workers previously staged a five-day strike in October after their contract expired. Kaiser says it paused bargaining after an unnamed labor leader threatened to release damaging information, an allegation the union denies, leaving talks at an impasse.
Read at www.mercurynews.com
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