Negotiations Update
At a June 8 negotiating session with the state, the UAPD had forceful presentations from John Puig, DDS, and Gary Cummings, DDS, concerning the state’s problems in hiring and retaining dentists and the need for a substantial pay increase to solve the problems. Orlando Chavez, DPM, made a power point presentation on the salary lag of podiatrists, and he discussed the special hiring difficulties in the Veterans’ Home. Leslie Earll, MD, discussed recruitment and retention difficulties in the Department of Developmental Services. Your UAPD team SEPA President Stuart Bussey, MD (DSS), SEPA President-elect Allen Doran, MD (CDCR), Mike Lisiak, MD (DMH), Bryan Quattlebaum, DDS (DHS), and Ronald Bortman, MD (DMH), emphasized that the state has recruitment and retention difficulties in all departments and substantial pay increases are necessary to fill the positions. UAPD staff on the team is Chief Negotiator Jim Moore, Executive Director Gary Robinson, and Representative Zegory Williams.
The union team proposed that the state increase salaries for Bargaining Unit 16 members to the amounts in the state’s own survey and include cost of living increases on top of that. The DPA representative said that the state couldn’t afford to pay doctors those salaries. Jim Moore responded that the large sums of money being wasted on outside contractors would be enough to pay for the wage increases.
Negotiations will be held two to three days per week until June 30. If the union and the state fail to reach a settlement by June 30, the terms of the current contract will remain in place and negotiations will continue until an agreement is reached.