Kaiser union prescribes a 'no' vote. (Kaiser Foundation Health Plan Inc. Northern California Region)

Leaders of Kaiser Permanente's largest labor union in Northern California, representing nearly half of Kaiser's employees in the region, have recommended that its members reject the giant HMO's final contract offer.

Local 250 of the Health Care Workers Union has asked its nearly 14,000 members at Kaiser Northern California to reject Kaiser's Oct. 28 offer, which called for a three-year wage freeze and tighter guidelines on post-retirement health benefits, while offering bonuses of up to $600 if quality goals are met. Voting will take place between Nov. 1 and Nov. 10, and most observers expect the rank and file to go along with their leaders' recommendation.

At …