Los Angeles County Physicians

Resources

April 25, 2018

Activism at Harbor UCLA is picking up steam in the Pediatrics department regarding a wellness in
service as well as in Internal Medicine with the Hospitalist workgroup. Harbor is working
with OVMC to put together a job specification that may help during bargaining. We
are helping Radiology with acquiring the nine radiologists that they need to be at
normal capacity.

We have also received support from Harbor Administration and several
departments to put together in services on topics that reach multiple disciplines.
We are working with Pediatrics, the Hospitalists, Surgery, Radiology, and soon we
will be meeting with OB/GYN.

Recruitment and membership are on the rise! However, we are still dealing with active
anti-union sentiment by several department heads. We are actively working around
them by using the programs discussed below to gain access to the departments.
We are in the midst of preparing a quarterly member meeting at Harbor. It should be
realized in the next month or two.

Message from UAPD President about upcoming LA County Contract and Salary Negotiations

April 20, 2018

Dear LA County Colleague:

Please click on the 88-second video message below to hear how your colleagues plan to improve your MOU and how you can help by (re)committing yourself to full UAPD membership.

After watching the video click the appropriate link at the bottom. You will be redirected to a Docu-sign membership form.

Thanks.

Stuart Bussey, M.D., J.D.
UAPD President

LA County Physicians, Psychiatrists, and Dentists (BU 324/325) click here

LA County Pharmacists (BU 301) click here.

Just Culture Policy Finalized!

January 26, 2018

Under the new policy, Union members and management will educate the workforce on the new policy, identify potential system deficiencies in various departments, and recruit team members to assist in resolving potential problems. Just Culture will focus less on disciplinary actions and focus more on corrective actions. UAPD members will have access to all bargaining unit members when discussing Just Culture. So, they will be able to recruit new members and provide updates on Union activities.

UAPD and DHS developed new programs to continue efforts for Physician recruitment and retention. In order to continue building on the successful events sponsored by the Union and the County, a new recruitment incentive and student loan payment reimbursement was established. New hires in Correctional Health will be eligible for up to $30,000: $10,000 after 6 months and another $20,000 after 18 months on the job. New employees could opt for the student loan payment reimbursement program. Physicians would receive up to $30, 000 at the end of each year up to 4 years (total $120,000 in reimbursement). The Department of Mental Health has expressed interest in creating similar programs for recruitment and retention of Psychiatrists in Los Angeles County.

UAPD in LA County Looking Forward…

May 3, 2017

The County of Los Angeles provides services to the over 10 million residents who call Los Angeles County home. With more than 35 departments and 200 commissions, the County operates one of the largest local government organizations in the world. Given the size of this County, it is imperative that UAPD position itself strategically if we are to be successful moving forward.

It is therefore never too early to start gearing up for negotiations for new collective bargaining agreements, to replace those that will be expiring in the upcoming months. We will be faced with a lot of challenges and uncertainties, for example: will the county lose federal dollars? How do we make up any loss in revenue? How do we continue to deliver quality care? What are the alternatives? UAPD members will have the opportunity to engage and participate in the process to solve some of these critical issues.

LA County Recruitment & Retention Work Group

April 1, 2017

At the Request of Dr. Mitch Katz, Director of the newly formed Los Angeles County Health Agency, UAPD has partnered with the Department of Health Services (DHS) to increase the recruitment of Physicians and Specialists who work for the County. The recruitment effort involves setting up events with potential applicants and the Department Directors, Medical Directors, UAPD board members, UAPD Stewards, and UAPD staff. The UAPD board approved $40,000 for this project at the October 2016 Board Meeting.

Results to date

Since the start of our project, over 50 Physicians hired with varying start dates
The marketing materials for physicians has been revised and updated
UAPD and the County have developed the first recruitment program to target those in the Residency Program. UAPD and CIR have discussed further events and programs to improve recruitment opportunities.
We reduced the recruitment process from 6 months to a little over a month from submission of interest to offer letter.
Streamlined the initial submission process to only having applicants submit a resume and CV.
UAPD has fostered a stronger relationship with Committee on Interns and Residents.

LA County Safe and Just Culture Policy

March 3, 2017

Los Angeles County Policy No. 311.4, as revised on July 1, 2016, states as its purpose: “To build, maintain, and support a Safe and Just Culture at the Department of Health Services…A Safe and Just Culture is one in which safety is an individual and organizational priority, and where errors, near misses, adverse events, and hazardous conditions can be easily reported without retaliation, and are seen as opportunities for improvement as a means to identify system and behavior changes that will improve the safety and quality of care we deliver”.

LA County Looks for Logo and Motto

December 7, 2016

The Los Angeles County Health Agency, in partnership with labor unions including UAPD, has launched a logo and motto contest as part of their Health Agency employee engagement campaign. The contest is open to all Los Angeles County Health Agency employees. The deadline for contest submissions is 5:00 pm on Friday, December 30, 2016. Cash and other prizes will be awarded. You can learn more by downloading this flyer or going to www.hala.care.

Bargaining Update for LA Physicians

December 14, 2015

UAPD Bargaining Unit 324 negotiations are slowly moving forward. Healthcare Reform may be the biggest social and economic development in decades, but the County has had little to say about a comprehensive strategy for recruitment and retention of Bu 324 doctors. How work is performed doesn’t appear to be a major management focus either. The UAPD Bargaining Team understands that these negotiations, and our future labor-management committees, must address how doctors have been so badly undermined by poor workplace conditions. There’s a Union consensus that management needs to include employee opinions and employee satisfaction as meaningful parts of their business plans.

Two months ago UAPD presented to the County a comprehensive and substantive salary proposal. The County claims to be thoroughly reviewing our proposal and vetting their response before presenting. Under Article 9 (Special Pay Practices), we have proposed increased standby compensation, a bonus for hard-to-recruit positions in the High Desert Health Systems, parity for MLK doctors, a bonus for detention and correctional facilities, and a percentage increase for the In-House-Physician-Registry.

Equally as important are the non-monetary proposals, which include enhanced legal protections for physicians who have a challenge to their medical license as a result of any e-Consult action.

Your bargaining team also proposed a new article entitled Professional Judgement, which states, ”the parties agree BU324 employees shall not practice, nor shall they be required to practice, in any manner which places their professional license(s) in jeopardy.”

The County has cancelled the last two scheduled bargaining sessions because they are not ready to respond to our salary proposal. UAPD and the County are scheduled to resume bargaining Wed. Jan 6 and Wed. Jan 13, 2016.

LA Physicians in Bargaining

October 5, 2015

Los Angeles County Physicians (324) are at the table this month. One of the ways that an employer gauges the strength of a union during bargaining is by its membership rate — the percentage of people who have chosen to sign an application to become full members rather than remain fair share fee payers. Over the next few weeks, UAPD staff will be working across Los Angeles County to maximize our level of membership. LA County members are asked to give organizers a hand locating the non-members, and to speak to their colleagues about the importance of being a UAPD member. The contract we’re negotiating covers everyone — and the more people who become members, the better that contract will be.

Bargaining Update for Physicians (BU 324)

UAPD is currently in negotiations with Los Angeles County over the next contract for Physicians (BU 324). Priorities include making permanent the Primary Care/Internal Medicine pay increases that were granted under the “Manpower Shortage” policy, fixing shortfalls in specialty pay scales, gaining recognition for unrecognized specialties, and addressing pay equity more generally.

LA County Members Stand Up for Department Integration

August 12, 2015

On August 11th the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted in favor of integrating the existing health care departments into a single agency. More than 25 UAPD members, doctors and pharmacists, testified in favor of integration before the vote took place. Many more took time to write letters to the Supervisors and sign petitions in favor of the integration.

UAPD believes that all members in Los Angeles County stand to benefit from integration. A single agency is better for County workers, patients, and the bottom line — it is simply a good idea.

However, the integration plan faced opposition, most of which was organized by outside contractors who fear that their business with the County will decrease if services are brought together under one agency staffed by permanent County employees. There were hundreds of people on hand at the meeting who opposed the plan. But the County Board of Supervisors also heard from from UAPD members about the benefits of integration. Doctors and pharmacists gave dozens of concrete examples of how integration can improve patient care while saving money.

This was the first time that the Los Angeles County physician unit, dentist and psychiatrist unit, and pharmacist unit were able to join forces to achieve a goal. But it won’t be the last — we are sure that there will be many more opportunities for these UAPD members to work together in the future.

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