Kaiser Permanente pharmacy strike averted by last-minute concession

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A potential showdown between Kaiser Permanente and the company's pharmacists has been averted, for now. This is good news for thousands of people who get their prescriptions filled through Kaiser.

Pharmacists working for Kaiser Permanente hospitals across Southern California had been threatening to walk off the job over a contract dispute Monday morning. The strike was scheduled for 7 a.m., but has since been postponed.

In the meantime, negotiations between the Kaiser Permanente and the Guild for Professional Pharmacists continue. The two parties are at odds over three keys issues.

Pharmacists are demanding that a pension program, which was taken away from them three years ago, be reinstated. They also want health benefits guaranteed for their part-time workers.

Lastly, they're demanding more time to fill their patients' prescriptions and counsel patients. These three demands remain on the table.

Robin Borden, the president of the Guild for Professional Pharmacists, tells Eyewitness News they're giving Kaiser Permanente till June 2 to meet their demands.

Borden said Kaiser Permanente made some small concessions Monday morning when it came to their pension benefits. That's what led the union to postpone the strike date.

Kaiser Permanente says they're optimistic that the issue will be rectified and squared away very soon. Mayra Suarez,a representative for Kaiser Permanente, said in a statement that the company believes "the bargaining table is the best place to resolve differences and address the interests we both share."

Representatives for the Guild for Professional Pharmacists say they are cautiously optimistic that things will be rectified shortly.

If no agreement is made by June 2, pharmacists will re-evaluate a strike.