Beginning tomorrow evening and every third Tuesday of the month, UAPD members can participate in a virtual happy hour. Discuss current events, UAPD news, and legislation. Share travel stories, sports, food and wine tips… and anything else that interests you. The call-in number is (310) 372-7549 and the code is ‘386201’.
Your votes have been tallied from last month’s UAPD Board elections and here are the results:
Vice Presidents: Ronald H. Lewis, MD, FACP, and Mubashir A.Farooqi, MD
County Board Members: Rex L. Cheng, MD, Victoria A. Behrman, MD, Sandhya Radhakrishnan, Pharm.D, Gary Pedneault, MD, and John A. Uyanne, MD
Those Board seats uncontested include: Stuart A. Bussey, MD, JD, PresidentShakalpi Pendurkar, DDS, MPH, Secretary, Peter A. Statti, MD, Treasurer, Milton L. Lorig, MD, JD, Private Practice Sector, State Sector Jeff Nelson, MD, Alex Spinoso, MD and Robert A. Bitonte, MD, JD.
Thanks to all who participated in this triennial democratic exercise of our Union, to those who ran, to those who voted, and to those who have previously served on our Boards. We are a better union for it. I look forward to working with the new Board in the challenges of growing stronger during the post-Janus era. Hope to see you at our upcoming Triennial Convention in San Francisco on October 26th and 27th.
Stuart A. Bussey, MD, JD
UAPD decisively won at arbitration against Alameda Health System (AHS). Two years ago, AHS contracted out psychiatrists’ jobs in the psychiatric emergency services/triage services to Traditions Behavioral Health (TBH), flagrantly violating both UAPD’s MOU and a California statute, sponsored by UAPD, which protects those jobs. The arbitrator ruled AHS was clearly in violation of the MOU and the statute. The arbitrator then ruled that all of those positions MUST be returned to us! AHS and UAPD need to quickly work out the way to rid PES/Triage of TBH. The arbitrator will retain jurisdiction should AHS drag its feet. Our next task is to bring PES/Triage wages to market, which has been on the table since May 2017, with absolutely no response to date from AHS. Now, AHS will have to respond or face the wrath of the arbitrator.
Special thanks go to all of our bargaining team members, especially Dr. Milton Lorig, MD, JD and Senior Representative Patricia Hernandez, JD. Kudos as well to our legal team and those who testified. Lastly, thanks to out UAPD Lobbyist, Doug Chiappetta, who guided the legislation that helped achieve this victory.
Physicians of UAPD working in ambulatory at Alameda Health System (AHS) walked out of a meeting at the Hayward Wellness Center on Wednesday, June 27, 2018 in protest of AHS’ intransigence. Those physicians have been out of contract for a year. AHS, rather than bargain in good faith over conditions at AHS, propose disrespectful and unethical mandates that would harm our most vulnerable patient population by demanding a “factory style” approach to patient care, treating our patients as “widgets” with physician pay linked to the number of “widgets” seen. Our physicians confronted AHS’ Chief Medical, Ghassan Jamaleddine, M.D., and made clear to him that AHS’ position is unacceptable. The group overwhelmingly voted to strike if AHS continued in its present course at negotiations. Our physicians are unwilling to sacrifice the doctor/patient relationship by delivering substandard care under an “assembly line” approach to the delivery of healthcare.
We would like to congratulate the physicians and advanced practice providers at Multicare’s Indigo Urgent Care centers who voted Monday to join the Union of American Physicians and Dentists (UAPD). Indigo providers sent a message that they want collective bargaining rights and a voice in providing care to patients. “I am excited that we have formed a union because, as a collective voice, we can work cooperatively with Multicare to create an organization that excels at providing high-quality patient care and provider satisfaction”, said Sara Pederson, an Indigo Physician Assistant.
Indigo providers now join UAPD bargaining units previously formed at Legacy Urgent Care Centers and Auburn Medical Center. The drive to unionize Indigo centers came about because providers perceived that they were having too little impact on patient care decisions. Many of these decisions appear to have been cost driven by Multicare. Profits have been placed before patient care and employee welfare.
Now begins the process of better understanding the specific priorities of Indigo providers. We want to start contract negotiations as soon as possible. In the next several days Indigo providers will receive a bargaining survey that will help evaluate their concerns on compensation, working hours, benefits, and other issues. One of the most important issues concerns an effective and reasonable urgent care closing policy. “In the past Multicare has forced many of its providers to work late into the night, seeing patients after an already long shift. This presents a real safety issue for both providers and patients”, stated Stuart Bussey, M.D., UAPD President. Our union is excited to begin negotiating a contract for Indigo providers.
The following were elected to serve as delegates at AFSCME 43rd International Convention in Boston, MA., July 16, 2018 – July 20, 2018. The theme of this year’s convention is, “Rise Up”.
Julie B. George, M.D. Department of State Hospitals
Ronald H. Lewis, M.D., F.A.C.P. Private Practice
Milton L. Lorig, M.D., J.D. Private Practice
Rufus W. Moore, M.D. Los Angeles Department of Mental Health
Rosa Nguyen, D.M.D. State Department of Correction & Rehabilitation
Gary Pedneault, M.D Los Angeles Department of Health Services
Shakalpi R. Pendurkar, D.D.S., M.P.H. Gardner Health Services
In accordance with the UAPD constitution and bylaws, the UAPD President, Stuart A. Bussey, M.D., J.D., is automatically included as one of the UAPD’s eight delegates.
Thank you to our UAPD members who voted in this election, the 11 nominees for their effort and enthusiasm on behalf of the Union, and congratulations to our elected delegates.
Stuart A. Bussey, M.D., J.D.
UAPD President
Dear UC Colleagues:
Next week on Monday, the 7th, to Wednesday, the 9th, AFSCME 3299 frontline patient and service workers will be striking against UC for racial, economic, and gender equality. We have consulted with our UAPD attorney about your potential participation and support of this strike. It is perfectly legal for you to support another union’s activities, including walking their picket lines, as long as it is on your own time. This includes your lunch and break times. What you cannot do, according to article 42 of your MOU is to engage in a sympathy strike or to have an unauthorized absence during these 3 days. Click the link below for the schedule of the rallies at the various UC campuses. If you have any questions, contact the UAPD for more details.