Negotiations between the Union of American Physicians and Dentists (UAPD) Bargaining Unit 324 and the County of Los Angeles have begun. The first bargaining session took place on Thursday, August 6, 2009.
In the first meeting, the County gave a presentation on its financial situation. The county characterized its budget as badly strained, but not to the point of crisis. In its opening remarks the UAPD Bargaining Team expressed its position that even during a bad budget year our relatively new contract has a substantial number of low-cost or no-cost improvements that can be made. Our team plans to deliver a set of proposals to the County starting at the next meeting.
Additional bargaining sessions have been scheduled for Wednesday, August 19th and Wednesday, September 2nd. A General Membership Meeting, open to all UAPD members, will be held on Thursday, September 3rd from 5:30 to 7:00 pm at the San Antonio Winery in Downtown Los Angeles. Attendance is strongly encouraged, as the meeting will be the first opportunity for the Bargaining Team and UAPD members to discuss the progress of negotiations in full detail. RSVPs to Nancy Baldovinos (1-800-504-8273 or nbaldovinos@uapd.com) are appreciated.
The UAPD Bargaining Team for Bargaining Unit 324 consists of Chief Negotiator Lux Irvin begin_of_the_skype_highlighting end_of_the_skype_highlighting, Regional Administrator John Murillo, and twelve Los Angeles County Doctors. They are:
Dr. Joe Chauvapan, Vascular Surgeon, Harbor /UCLA
Dr. Rex Cheng, Anesthesiology, Harbor/UCLA
Dr. Shahid Khan, Internal Medicine, High Desert
Dr. Michael Medici, Pediatrics, Claude Hudson
Dr. Janice Nelson, Pathology, LAC/USC
Dr. LL Nelson, Internal Medicine, Public Health SPA 6 South
Dr. Pedro Ortiz-Colom, Coroner, Coroners Department
Dr. Orlando Pile, Internal Medicine, Sheriff’s Department Twin Towers
Dr. Gary Posner, Pediatrics, Olive View
Dr. Claudette Robbins, Radiology, Olive View
Dr. Edwardo Velayos, Surgery, Rancho
Dr. Ron Zodkevitch, Psychiatry, MLK/MACC
Questions or comments about negotiations can be directed to any Bargaining Team member. Stay tuned for further updates.