In Memory, Bernard J. Tyson

“In the nearly 8 years I spent with Kaiser Permanente having had the privilege of leading the 100,000 member Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions and serving as co-chair of the Labor Management Partnership, Bernard Tyson, became my partner and friend. In my experience, Bernard had no equal in the health care industry, or among major corporate leaders more broadly, who understood the value of people who go to work every day to do the hard, hard work to achieve the mission of the organization. He was a tough and skilled negotiator with a kind heart. Tens of thousands of Kaiser Permanente workers knew and respected Bernard. He was always welcome at Union events, and union member employees took great pride in that relationship. He rarely came to such meetings to heap praise, but challenged himself and all of us to make sure that the Labor Management Partnership lived up to its purpose: to be a part of the core business strategy of the organization. Like many of you, I did not get a chance to say good-bye to Bernard. I join you in the collective sorrow. But there must be a true celebration of Bernard, the leader, the father, the husband, the man. The world is a much better place because of this bright, energetic, and strong son of Vallejo, CA