Oakland, Calif.-based Kaiser Permanente has agreed to keep its landscaping operations in-house, the union representing 63 of its gardeners said.
The outsourcing would have affected gardeners represented by the Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West who work at facilities in Northern California. The gardeners will keep their jobs.
"We have gone from despair to joy, not just for ourselves but for our patients, our families and our communities," Phil Osmond, a Kaiser Permanente gardener for 23 years in Oakland, said in a news release. "Now we can continue to do the jobs we love without worrying about our futures. We can get back to focusing on creating landscapes that help patients and their families heal."
Union officials said the agreement came before a protest, vigil and worker encampment that had been scheduled in Oakland.
John Nelson, vice president of communications at Kaiser Permanente, told Becker's, "We are pleased with this outcome and will continue to modernize landscaping services while offering great jobs to our gardeners."
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