After 5 hours of talks on May 15th, the UAPD Negotiating Team (Senior Representative Patricia Hernandez, Deborah Brown, MD, Roger Wu, MD, Jon Smith, MD, and Derek Kerr, MD) reached a Tentative Agreement with the City. The Bargaining Team unanimously recommends ratification of the agreement.
The Agreement states:
1) We keep our 3.75% raise that took effect in April. We will be paid retroactively within a month.
2) We get NO LAYOFFS from now through November 15, 2009.
3) We give up 4 paid Legal Holidays this coming year, and next year. For 2009-2010, we get time off July 4th, September 7th, October 12th, and February 15th – but without pay. Same deal next year. Doctors who work on those days will get paid at the usual rate. They will have to take another unpaid day off in the same Pay Period.
4) For doctors planning retirement during this Agreement, the City will give Restoration Pay equaling the value of any unpaid Holidays or Furloughs that would be used to calculate their Retirement Benefits. In other words, there will be NO LOSS of retirement compensation.
5) We will receive an Annual Training in billing and coding to ensure that our billing revenue is captured. A Joint Labor-Management Committee will meet to explore revenue enhancement ideas.
6) Agreement is good until 2011.
Why we did it this way:
1) Both the City and UAPD had administrative problems with Furloughs, so this option was not chosen by either side.
2) UAPD offered to give up Floating Holidays or Educational Leave, but the City declined based on their cash needs.
3) The City wanted a salary give-back, but UAPD declined based on our membership polling results.
4) Protecting our doctors from layoffs is a high priority.
5) Protecting retirement benefits is another high priority.
6) Extending the contract until 2011 limits our exposure to takeaways that can come from negotiating during a recession.
UAPD”s Patricia Hernandez, will send the Tentative Agreement for your review and ratification. The Tentative Agreement takes effect if a majority of voting members accept it. Thanks to the many members who sent comments and advice that guided us through these negotiations. Your questions can be directed to any Bargaining Team member.