Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions Delegate Conference:

Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012 in San Jose. 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Delegates will review the summary of the member surveys and identify and ratify our bargaining interests. In the afternoon, the delegates will attend a training on interest-based bargaining. SEIU 121RN delegates will also serve on the National Bargaining team. These conferences and bargaining sessions require a lot of commitment from the individuals who serve as there are long hours and travel involved. Delegates have not yet been confirmed.

Annual Delegate Conference:

Friday, March 23 to Sunday, March 25 in Hollywood

This conference includes yearly business as well as National Bargaining issues.

National Bargaining will begin in April and probably conclude in the summer. After a tentative agreement is reached, a third delegates conference will be held to review the agreement and reach consensus on whether to recommend the agreement to the membership for a vote.

Call Back Pay: Employees have been agreeing to work extra shifts on their scheduled days off believing that they are going to be paid overtime. Overtime was previously paid when an employee was asked to work within the 24-hour time period but now it applies to the shift becoming available within the 24-hour time frame. The language reads:

“When a previously scheduled shift becomes open less than twenty-four (24) hours prior to the start of such shift, full-time and part-time employees will be compensated a minimum of time and one-half for the first twelve (12) hours worked, and at double time for hours worked thereafter, when called back to work on their scheduled day off.”

It is important that the employee ask if this is going to be overtime prior to agreeing to work because it is unlikely that you will know if a shift has become available due to sick calls or high census, or if it was always available due to the way the schedule was done. Also, if you are full-time, you will be paid eight hours of overtime because you will have worked over 40 hours in the work week.