Kaiser workers launch informational pickets at hospitals and clinics across California

Hundreds of SEIU-UHW health care workers will rally in front of Kaiser Permanente's Oakland Regional Office at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, August 20 before delivering a 10-day notice of informational pickets at hospitals and clinics across California to protest Kaiser's layoff plan.

Simultaneously, SEIU-UHW workers in Pasadena will deliver the 10-day notice to Kaiser's Southern California Regional Office. Kaiser workers across the state voted resoundingly to hold the informational picket.

Despite announcing earlier in August their excellent financial performance for the second quarter -- a net income of $620 million and nearly twice last year's second quarter -- Kaiser Permanente management has been insistent on its plan to send out notices to individual employees. While Kaiser wants to reduce some positions as part of overall efforts to reduce costs, SEIU-UHW believes this could be accomplished by offering certain employees generous, voluntary severance packages the union has negotiated.

VISUALS: Hundreds of Kaiser Workers in purple, with picket signs. Union members speaking about what layoffs mean to them.

WHAT: SEIU-UHW Members Rally, Present Kaiser with 10-Day Notice of Informational Picket

WHERE: Kaiser Permanente's Oakland Regional Office, 1950 Franklin St., Oakland, CA 94612

WHEN: Thursday, August 20, 2009, 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM