Providers say workloads and pay are driving burnout and turnover, and that the people who lose most are patients
Bay Area, Calif. — Sept. 18, 2026 — Physicians and advanced practice clinicians at LifeLong Medical Care will hold lunchtime pickets at six different LifeLong health centers on Wednesday, September 23, from 12 pm to 1 pm, to call on leadership to make meaningful movement in contract negotiations and address working conditions they say are undermining patient care. The largest gatherings are expected at the West Berkeley Health Center in Berkeley and William Jenkins Health Center in Richmond.
The providers, represented by the Union of American Physicians and Dentists (UAPD), care for more than 50,000 underserved patients across the East Bay who often have nowhere else to turn.
“When providers burn out and leave, patients lose the person who knows their medical history and their medications,” said Dr. Stuart Bussey, UAPD president. “And when management makes unilateral decisions that push providers out, patients pay the price. They wait longer for appointments and have to start over with someone new. In community health, continuity is the care.”
Contract negotiations with LifeLong began in December 2025. With the contract set to expire at the end of September, providers say the central issues at the table are not solely about compensation. What’s at stake is whether clinicians have the working conditions and professional protections necessary to provide high-quality care to the patients who depend on LifeLong’s programs and services.
“Patients come to LifeLong because they want to see someone who knows them and has the time to listen to their health concerns,” said a LifeLong clinician. “It’s not right for management to ask us to squeeze in more visits without even discussing staffing levels or how many patients each of us is responsible for. We’re being asked to choose between caring for our patients and protecting our livelihoods. We shouldn’t have to, and we won’t stay silent while the providers our community depends on burn out and leave.”
More than 70 LifeLong providers have already signed a petition calling on the organization’s Board of Directors to direct leadership to make substantial movement on wages, workload and protections against unilateral changes to providers’ working conditions.
At the center of the negotiation’s standstill is LifeLong’s proposal for a one-time 1.5% increase across the entire three-year contract, accompanied by a bonus program that is not guaranteed. Providers say the proposal does not adequately address the increasing workload demands placed on clinicians or the cost of living in the Bay Area.
Providers are also seeking contractual protections around workload and staffing. LifeLong has declined to include panel-size or staffing standards in the contract, rejected a proposal concerning professional judgment in scheduling, and rejected a process for providers to raise workload concerns with supervisors and obtain support to address them. These issues directly affect the providers’ ability to care for patients.
WHAT: Lunchtime picket by LifeLong Medical Care physicians and advanced practice clinicians
WHEN: Wednesday, September 23, 2026 from 12 PM – 1 PM
WHERE: West Berkeley Health Center, 837 Addison St., Berkeley, CA 94710
William Jenkins Health Center, 150 Harbour Way, Richmond, CA 94801
Over 60 Health Center, 3260 Sacramento St., Berkeley, CA 94702
Trust Health Center, 385 14th St., Oakland, CA 94612
East Oakland Health Center, 10700 MacArthur Blvd. Ste. 14, Oakland, CA 94605
Brookside San Pablo Health Center, 2023 Vale Rd. Ste. 107, San Pablo, CA 94806
WHO: LifeLong Medical Care providers represented by the Union of American Physicians and Dentists
The picket comes as providers urge LifeLong’s Board of Directors and leadership to recognize that the health of the community also depends on the health and well-being of the clinicians providing care. Providers are urging LifeLong to address staffing, workload, and clinical judgment in negotiations as the contract expiration approaches.
About the Union of American Physicians and Dentists
Founded in 1972, the Union of American Physicians and Dentists (UAPD) is the largest union representing fully licensed doctors and advanced practice clinicians in the United States, with more than 7,000 members. UAPD is an AFSCME local affiliated with the AFL-CIO and represents healthcare providers across public and private healthcare systems. UAPD is physician-led and advocates for physicians and advanced practice clinicians having a meaningful voice in decisions affecting their patients, their profession and the delivery of care.
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