Pioneering leader of UNAC/UHCP passed away December 31.
Kathy J. Sackman, longtime leader of UNAC/UHCP and a true partner to Kaiser Permanente, passed away on December 31, 2021.
Kathy began her nursing career in the emergency room at Pittsburgh Hospital, later joining Kaiser Permanente in the Intensive Care and Critical Care units at Fontana Medical Center.
She began her remarkable 33-year tenure as president of United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals in 1978, when the union consisted of just a small group of nurses. She led the organization through untold changes and monumental growth to over 18,000 registered nurses and health care professionals.
Kathy rose to become a union leader on the national scene, serving as an international vice president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, the secretary-treasurer of the National Union of Hospital and Health Care Employees, and co-chair of AFSCME’s United Nurses of America. A valued voice among state and federal lawmakers, Kathy was one of the union leaders whose activism and passion led to the passing of California’s safe staffing ratio law, among other important public policy initiatives.
“Kathy was a visionary," said Denise Duncan, RN, UNAC/UHCP president. "She was there during the design and infancy of the partnership. She was very protective of the basic tenets that were crafted to support it and sustain it. She continued to be a huge believer that the people on the ground need a voice in how care is delivered and how we speak for it in the community. This is the legacy she left, a legacy that should inspire us as we do our work for the future.”
At Kaiser Permanente, Kathy was respected as a straight shooter and a true force at the bargaining table, advocating for both quality patient care and UNAC/UHCP members – and always seeking the best solutions for all parties. She was an avid supporter of unit-based teams whose vision helped craft win-win agreements and build our Labor Management Partnership into the successful, widely admired model that it is today.
“I was so saddened to hear about Kathy’s passing," said Arlene Peasnall, senior vice president for Human Resources, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan and Hospitals. "I have the deepest respect for her and know that at the center of everything was her passion in ensuring the highest quality care to our patients and providing a work environment in which her members could deliver that care. Kathy will be missed by all of us who had the privilege of working with her.”
Kathy will be remembered as a smart, funny, passionate and compassionate woman who strongly believed in the power of partnership, and in what we can accomplish together.
UNAC/UHCP is planning a celebration of her life. She is survived by 2 sons, Monty and Michael, who along with the extended family, have requested privacy at this time. Any cards or tributes can be sent to the UNAC/UHCP office at 955 Overland Ct., San Dimas, CA 91773.
For members of unions in the Alliance of Health Care Unions, there are changes coming in 2020 to medical and dental coverage.
Celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Labor Management Partnership. We are taking the high road, and there's no turning back!
Plus: Tips and tools for both rookie and veteran leaders of unit-based teams, as well as puzzles and games to mark our milestone.
You can also visit the Q4-2017 Hank web page in the Gallery section to read the issue online or download a PDF of it.
Need a poster, video or article to share with your team? Looking for a copy of your union’s contract? This training will show you how to easily find and share information on LMPartnership.org from your desktop and your smartphone.
California Gov. Jerry Brown congratulates LMP on its success and praises it for making the Golden State a better place to live and raise our families.
Voices from the front lines, reflecting on LMP's 20th anniversary—looking back on the past and on to the future.
As we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Labor Management Partnership, Hank would like to call out the tens of thousands of individuals who have made partnership a success: the frontline workers, managers and physicians who have believed in our ideals and taken the time to build the positive working relationships that are the backbone of this groundbreaking endeavor.
Visit Humans of Partnership to read their stories—and look through their eyes into our past, our present and our future.
The Labor Management Partnership often is described as a journey. You never know where it’s going to take you next. But it also has a few rules of the road that help us find our way.
In 1997, forward-looking leaders of Kaiser Permanente and 26 unions took a chance on a different way of working--in partnership. After 20 years, our Labor Management Partnership has proved to be a game-changer. See how we are marking 20 years of partnership.
Forty percent of U.S. marriages end in divorce after an average of eight years. Most business partnerships fail to meet expectations. And most campaigns end when they achieve their goals or the world moves on.
But the Labor Management Partnership between Kaiser Permanente and the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions has beaten the odds: October 2017 marks the 20th anniversary of the partnership’s founding, making it by far the largest, longest-running and most sweeping such partnership in the country.
We’ve accomplished a lot together. And in a world of change, sustaining a healthy long-term relationship is an achievement in itself. A key to our success has been the willingess to honestly reflect on our successes, failures, and opportunities to improve.
By working in partnership, says Kaiser Permanente Chairman and CEO Bernard Tyson, “We have tapped into the potential of smart people all over the organization coming here every single day trying to figure out, ‘How do I improve quality, how do I improve service, how do I improve affordability?’ That’s an incredible competitive advantage for the organization.”
This fall Kaiser Permanente and the union coalition will be celebrating those achievements with special events and employee outreach. It won’t be all cake and balloons, however. LMP regional councils, unit-based team sponsors and co-leads, and others will host reflection sessions where workers, managers and physicians can share their experiences, pain points and suggestions for the future of partnership. Participants will consider three questions:
Partnership is not easy, and the parties don’t always agree on things. So what’s kept it going?
“It’s nice if we can all get along,” says Tyson. “But most important, we’re here to get results.” Here are some of the results achieved in partnership:
All of the above have garnered attention from business, union and academic leaders over the years.
“The Labor Management Partnership is a shining example of how you bring labor and management together to produce results,” said Liz Shuler, secretary-treasurer of the AFL-CIO. “What I love about this model is the notion that, no matter where you work in the system, you have a place at the table and your voice is heard.”
Working in partnership also holds lessons that apply outside of work—including lessons that might have saved some of those failed marriages.
“If you are going to be a good partner and have a successful relationship, with a partner, kids, friends,” says a facilitator from 2015 national bargaining, “you have to have your partner’s needs in mind as well as your own.”
To learn more about LMP anniversary activities, visit the 20th Anniversary How-to Guide.
The 2015 National Agreement sets out several new provisions for unit-based teams, facilities and regions. Make sure you know how to keep improving performance.