Kaiser Permanente and Oregon nurses union reach tentative deal after year-long talks

PORTLAND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The Oregon Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals (OFNHP) reached a tentative agreement with Kaiser Permanente on Monday following a year-long bargaining campaign. The deal covers nearly 5,000 healthcare workers in Oregon and Southwest Washington and includes a 21.5% wage increase over the life of the contract.

The agreement secures benefit protections and aligns contract expiration dates across six different bargaining units. The settlement follows significant labor activity in 2025, including a massive five-day strike involving tens of thousands of healthcare workers.

Under the terms of the three-year and eight-month contract, healthcare workers will receive a 21.5% across-the-board wage increase. Some job classifications will see total increases exceeding 30% in the first year once market adjustments are applied.

The agreement maintains existing healthcare and pension benefits for the nearly 5,000 members. A primary focus of the negotiations was ensuring that all six OFNHP bargaining units at Kaiser share a common contract expiration date to increase future bargaining unity.

The settlement follows a period of significant labor tension, including a five-day strike in October. During that time, more than 3,000 OFNHP members joined 40,000 other Kaiser employees in what was the largest healthcare strike in the United States in 2025. Workers at the time demanded safer staffing levels and higher wages.

The OFNHP members are part of a broader coalition of more than 62,000 healthcare professionals bargaining through the Alliance of Healthcare Unions. Other unions within that alliance are also currently in the process of securing their own specific agreements.

Negotiators addressed outstanding national issues by incorporating specific provisions into local agreements. They also created a new Partnership Agreement to manage joint labor-management initiatives that were previously governed by a broader national contract.

Sarina Roher, president of the OFNHP, said the contract reflects the essential nature of healthcare work. "After an incredibly long and difficult campaign, our members have secured a contract that reflects the strength of our solidarity and the essential work we do every day," Roher said. "This agreement protects the benefits we fought for over decades, delivers major wage increases that begin to recognize the value of healthcare workers and aligns our contracts across six units so that we can continue building worker power with greater unity and strength."

Roher also noted that the union remained united despite challenges during the year-long process. "Kaiser tried to break our solidarity, but instead our members stood strong alongside more than 62,000 Alliance union siblings across the country," Roher said.

Throughout the bargaining process, union members emphasized that improving wages and working conditions is necessary to address the ongoing staffing crisis in the healthcare industry. Union leaders stated that the new terms will help make Kaiser a more competitive employer and improve the retention of experienced professionals.

OFNHP members will participate in a ratification vote on the agreement this week.