UAPD has filed Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) charges against the University of California (UC) for unilaterally increasing doctors’ pension contributions after saying they would not, among other things. It has become evident that UC’s bad faith bargaining is making it impossible to reach a fair agreement at the negotiating table. After nine months of negotiations, 33 bargaining sessions, and serious effort on the part of the UAPD team, doctors still have not reached an agreement with UC. While nurses’, medical assistants’, and other workers’ pay will increase up to 30% under their current contracts, UC insists that it can afford to offer doctors no more than 12% in raises over an even longer period of time (5 fiscal years). This is despite the fact that UC’s own salary data show that the overwhelming majority of student health center doctors earn well below the market rate for physicians. It is difficult to recruit and retain talented doctors, especially at the campuses where salaries are $40,000 below the California median for student health physicians.
In light of UC’s unfair labor practices and their effect on bargaining, doctors have been discussing taking action. Now the time has come to make a decision. Between November 17th and November 21st, UAPD-represented doctors will vote on whether or not to grant the UAPD Bargaining Team authority to call a strike if necessary. Details have been sent to UAPD-represented doctors that have provided contact information to UAPD. All others can contact the UAPD office (1-800-622-0909) to join the mailing list and learn about the time and location of the meeting and vote on their campus.