As part of our contract win last year, we agreed to changes in the On-Call language designed to make sure enough On-Call workers were available to cover absences and allow for time off. You can read the exact language we agreed to on pages 61-62 of our Tentative Agreement (available on MyUHW.org).

The major change in this section was that On-Call employees would be required to submit a minimum number of “available days/shifts” per month. Kaiser’s March 7 message from HR Connect misrepresented a number of details which are not included in the Tentative Agreement language.

What Kaiser Said: "An Employee’s ten (10) “available days/shifts” requirement must be on the shift they were hired for."

The Truth: This is not what we agreed to. What we discussed is that the 10 days should be consistent with the employee's job posting and the department's normal operating days and hours.

What Kaiser Said: "A shift is considered eight (8) hours in most departments."

The Truth: There are plenty of departments that use different shift lengths. If an On-Call Employee’s department schedules 4-hour shifts, they should be able to provide 4-hour shifts as availability.

What Kaiser Said: "On-Call Employees may offer additional partial days/shift availability but partials shifts will not be counted towards the minimum number of “available days/shifts” required each month."

The Truth: The contract language clearly states "days/shifts". Therefore, On-Call workers can provide availability either by days or by shifts.

What Kaiser Said: "On-Call Employees must provide their availability at least 24 days in advance of the first day of each month/scheduling period or as directed."

The Truth: We absolutely did not agree to this in bargaining. In fact, we explicitly discussed and agreed that as long as the On-Call worker has submitted their 10 days of availability by the end of the month, they are compliant. Employees are encouraged to provide their availability before each 14-day schedule posting cycle, though management must call and confirm that the employee is available to work the days/shifts before they are placed on the posted schedule.

If you think management is not upholding the contract language correctly, report it here so we can address it.

If you have any additional questions about this new contract language, please talk to your Field Rep, Steward, or Contract Specialist.