Labor Management Partnership

COVID-19 is testing partnership as never before.

Management and labor have had to work together quickly to retool the delivery system to support rapidly changing needs. Employees’ and physicians’ skills and talents are needed in new ways and in new places — so leaders from Kaiser Permanente and unions created labor pools to get KP employees to where they were needed.  

It’s one of dozens of innovations made to provide top-quality care at a time when every day is bringing new challenges. The swift work was possible in part because of the foundation provided by the relationships and values of the Labor Management Partnership.

In Southern California's Riverside service area, “It’s all-hands on deck,” says Jiji Abraham, area chief financial officer. “Even physicians are in the labor pool.”

Course description

The curriculum is planned around bringing a new manager up to speed on the working environment as it relates to partnership and unit-based teams, and how to take their traditional role and seamlessly integrate it in this new environment. The materials in the class are intended to be a takeaway the participants can use later as a valuable reference tool.

Path to Performance

Level 1

Duration

• 4 modules (classroom)
• 60 minutes, approximately (online)

Who should attend

This course is intended for new managers to a partnership environment.

Course requirements

• Labor Management Partnership Orientation (LMPO)
• Completion of course pre-work prior to class

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. 

Where were you 20 years ago? The three of us were each on a different path—paths that crossed in unexpected ways, and changed the way we do our jobs.

Our Labor Management Partnership often is described as a journey, for good reason. It is ever changing. It can be difficult. And 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:

Understand and respect one another’s needs and interests. Listen openly and assume the best intentions of your counterparts. Ask questions, especially, “Why?” Create an environment where people feel safe speaking up.

Over the years, that approach has gotten positive outcomes for Kaiser Permanente, our unions, our workforce and, most important of all, our members and patients.

That doesn’t mean our partnership is perfect; it isn’t. Or that we always agree; we don’t. But we’ve tried the traditional ways of working, and the trip is much better on the high road that Kaiser Permanente and the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions have chosen.

Thank you for your hard work and dedication. We invite you to join colleagues in your unit, department or region this fall to celebrate your accomplishments, reflect on our challenges, and commit to creating an even better future.