As we go further along in the bargaining process, the State is bringing forward more information to address the workplace concerns we’ve raised at the table. For instance, we had further discussion of the lack of appropriate break areas, especially within CDCR. The State said redesigned CDCR facilities would incorporate break rooms for doctors’ work areas. In a separate discussion, DSS management clarified that the rules that restrict the number of people on leave at the same time were being misinterpreted in some branches. They agreed to educate managers about the fact that more than 25% of doctors in a branch can be on leave simultaneously.
In addition to these discussions, we continue to go back and forth with many proposals. While we have reached agreement on some articles this week, our team is still not satisfied with the State’s position on key issues like:
• Maintaining the prohibition on timekeeping
• Achieving salary parity where it does not exist
• Increasing on-call compensation and limiting the amount of work call requires
• Increasing CME pay and time
• Ensuring that evaluations come from qualified (MD, DDS, etc.) peers
• Respecting doctors’ professional judgment
• Providing adequate protection from lawsuits and licensing problems
UAPD wants the State to improve working conditions for doctors in this Agreement.
We will be back in negotiations next Thursday and Friday, when we expect the State to put its comprehensive economic proposal on the table. In the meantime, the team wanted to express our sincere appreciation for our colleagues who are doing extra work on those days we are here in Sacramento. We also want to thank those of you who have taken the time to give us feedback during the bargaining process. We will continue giving our best effort to bring you a contract worth ratifying.