Workers returned to work on Wednesday after the tentative agreement between the union and Kaiser was reached Tuesday, ending the longest mental healthcare workers strike in US history.
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The union released details of the agreement Friday morning, saying it means major gains for patients and clinicians.
RELATED: Kaiser mental health workers return after tentative agreement reached, ending strike in NorCal
Among the highlights are:
- Extra hours per week for therapists to work on things like patient emails and treatment plans. They're hoping this will decrease the high turnover rate.
- A pay increase for bilingual therapists from $1 per hour to $1.50 per hour, so therapists can serve non-English speakers.
- A commitment by Kaiser to hire more therapists.
- A commitment by Kaiser to work with therapists on a plan to expand crisis services to nearly all of its clinics.
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More than 2,000 mental health workers walked off the job on August 15th, demanding Kaiser address staffing shortages and more patient access to care, after seeing a surge in demand during the pandemic.
It was estimated some 20,000 patients would be affected by the strike.
This agreement also means a wage increase ranging from 3% to 4% a year for therapists. They had agreed to Kaiser's wage proposal before the strike, but the agreement adds a year to the contract.
It's retroactive to September of last year and expires in September 2025.