The tentative agreements focus on market-adjusted wages, improvements to working conditions and staffing standards, and recruitment and retention, the union said.

PORTLAND, Ore. — Kaiser Permanente has reached tentative agreements with local unionized health care workers from six bargaining units.

The Oregon Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals (OFNHP), the union that represents the health care workers, announced the update on Wednesday. OFNHP said the tentative agreements focus on market-adjusted wages, improvements to working conditions and staffing standards, as well as recruitment and retention.

“We reached tentative agreements that include higher pay, stronger staffing standards and a real voice for healthcare professionals in how patient care is delivered. But there is no final agreement until Kaiser comes back to the national table and finishes a fair national contract,” said OFNHP president Sarina Roher in a news release.

A national agreement is required to “establish across-the-board wage increases for all Alliance workers,” OFNHP said. When a national agreement is reached, union members will vote to ratify the full package.

“We are pleased to have reached agreements with OFNHP at local bargaining this week,” Kaiser Permanente said, in part, in a statement.

The local tentative agreements come after nine months of bargaining and a strike. Roughly 4,000 unionized health care workers at Kaiser Permanente facilities in Oregon and southwest Washington walked off the job on Oct. 14 for a five-day strike. It was part of a larger strike that happened in multiple states including in California and Hawaii. 

The walkout involved registered nurses, physical therapists, social workers, mental health counselors and lab professionals. In September, 97% of union members voted to authorize the strike.