A Summary of the AHS January 24th Membership Meeting

February 1, 2018

On Wednesday, January 24th, a UAPD representative for AHS met with your colleagues following the monthly provider meeting. We had a very good, engaging meeting. UAPD gave a brief update on the status of negotiations, which is advancing at a very slow pace due to AHS’s inability to provide the Union with necessary information.

UAPD also clarified to our members that the Union did NOT agree to the following changes:

UAPD did not agree to change the patient scheduling start times at the Ambulatory Care Clinics!
UAPD did not agree to require doctors to make-up PTO time approved with less than 90 days advance notice!

The Union did, however, agree to require 90 days advance notice for PTO requests because this time frame is an improvement from the current terms of the MOU, which requires PTO requests to be submitted at the beginning of each year.

UAPD will continue to fight AHS’s attempts to unilaterally make changes to your work conditions without first notifying and meeting with the Union. It is an unfair labor practice to directly deal with UAPD members about their terms and conditions of employment. UAPD will pursue an Unfair Labor Charge against AHS for violating your rights.

NEW BARGAINING SUBCOMMITTEE

Many doctors were very interested in participating in the current negotiations. UAPD is happy to announce that Dr. Laura Wise (Hayward) will be at the table as the latest member of the negotiating committee. Also, the doctors have formed a bargaining subcommittee to discuss proposals and information on an ongoing basis. These meetings will take place during non-work hours at a time and place agreed upon. The first of these sub-committee meetings will take place on Thursday, February 8th at 5:30 PM at the following location:

Caffe Trieste
4045 Piedmont Avenue (near 41st Street)
Oakland, CA 94611

More updates will be provided as negotiations continue.

Santa Cruz County Incentive Payments Forthcoming

January 31, 2018

On January 29, UAPD representatives met with Santa Cruz management to discuss the status of incentive payments pursuant to provisions of the MOU. Under article 7.2, of the MOU, eligible UAPD-represented employees would qualify for a quarterly incentive pay of up to 15% of their base pay starting July 1, 2017. At this meeting management presented UAPD for the first time with specific data related to providers qualifications for the incentive pay for the 2017 quarters ranging from July 1 to September 30 and October 1 to December 31. After careful discussion, UAPD asked for management to make temporary discretionary adjustments to the policy so that more providers would qualify for incentive pay for the quarters reviewed. Once an understanding is reached, providers can expect for the County to then make the payments for the first quarter.

If a provider has any questions or concerns about this issue, they are encouraged to discuss it with a member of UAPD’s team who attended the meeting: Dr. Brooks, Dr. Santillano, Dr. Yazgan or UAPD representatives Albert Munoz or Nereyda Rivera.

Grievances filed against CDCR’s Telemedicine and Telepsychiatry Programs

January 28, 2018

When the telemedicine and telepsychiatry programs were first launched by the department, physicians were told that they would not have to cover On-call assignments. The department then decided to start requiring them to cover on-call assignments. The Department changed telemedicine working conditions without notifying the UAPD. A grievance was filed and the Department responded by notifying the UAPD that they were initiating a telemedicine on-call pilot program. That program failed and the Department concluded that they will not be requiring telemedicine doctors to cover on-call assignments.

We filed a grievance regarding Additional Appointments for Telemedicine. The Department has now said that telemedicine has a right to Additional appointments.

The UAPD met with the Department to discuss a proposed policy. CDCR has not updated the policy to reflect the agreed upon changes from the last meeting. Nonetheless, CDCR has added additional telepsychiatry sites without notifying the UAPD.

We filed a Cease and Desist regarding implemented changes to the program without notice to the union. The UAPD had a Meet and Confer with the Department to discuss the opening of the Diamond Bar location.

The UAPD has scheduled quarterly Telehealth Committee Meetings to address these issues.

An Overview of Northeast Valley Health Corp in 2017

January 27, 2018

In 2017, UAPD learned that NEVHC now has 68 per diems (not in the UAPD BU) while the number of Full and Part Time benefited employees, UAPD members, has shrunk in comparison. The Per Diems are doing UAPD bargaining unit work. We are addressing this in bargaining, among other issues, subject to bargaining.

The members achieved close to 100% participation in UAPD Bargaining surveys which were circulated by leadership early, with member leaders and stewards who strongly encouraged 100% participation, to enter negotiations from a position of strength, with everyone’s input.

NEVHC leaders continue to make inroads and connections for UAPD to other local FQHCs and have met with other providers interested in organizing with UAPD. Likewise, NEVHC members are glad to offer their support to further the work and scope of UAPD, in Southern California as well as anywhere else, and to increase UAPD’s and NEVHC’s membership and help both grow.

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.

AHS News and Negotiation Updates

January 26, 2018

Negotiations continue at a very slow and frustrating pace. AHS does not provide the necessary information for the Union to prepare a market proposal. Most of the union’s proposals have been submitted except for market adjustments and extended hours proposal.

AHS has withheld payment of the 4% lump sum payment to psychiatrists per the currently expired MOU. AHS maintains that it cannot instruct its payroll department to make the payments to the doctors. UAPD will file a request for arbitration to get these bonuses paid. Also, AHS has failed to provide evidence that the outpatient clinics did not meet the metrics for the past two measuring periods. UAPD has asked that all physicians receive the maximum bonus payment. AHS is still struggling to provide the evidence. UAPD will file for an arbitration for these bonus payments, per the MOU. Read more …

UAPD Pulse: Looking Back and Ahead… UAPD 2018

December 26, 2017

By Stuart A. Bussey, MD, JD, UAPD President

We can all agree that 2017 was a memorable year-both outside and inside of our union. Donald Trump was sworn in as our 45th president and has used an executive style from his TV show “The Apprentice”. This year global warming became all too real. Drought, fire and hurricanes spread around the world. Senseless mass shootings continued. Sexual harassment cases abounded. But…there were also bright spots in 2017. Unemployment reached an all time low and our economy is booming. Scientific and technology breakthroughs surprise us daily. A high school senior in Texas bought his special needs classmates new shoes. A customer in Washington left a $3000 tip for his $39 dinner. A 5 year old from Mississippi called 911 to arrest the Grinch. An ophthalmologist in Michigan carried his elderly patient through the snow to his office. The human spirit continues to amaze.

2017 also saw lots of changes and successes at UAPD. In February, after 35 bargaining sessions, UAPD reached an agreement with the State of California and ratified a new MOU. While the general salary increases were moderate, we scored significant pensionable salary adjustments for hundreds of our members. This was due in no small part to the strike ratification vote we took in January. There were many other developments in the state sector which UAPD met with skill and tenacity—“lift and shift” of our DSH psychiatrists to CDCR, telehealth policy changes, ensuring laptops are optional on call, creating research to support the legal case for higher physician salaries, protecting Medical Consultant scope of practice, fighting timekeeping and retaliation issues, and, of course, member grievances. We also fought against gender discrimination at CSU, contracting out and bullying at our UC clinics.

Governor Brown Signs UAPD Bill Stopping Contractors

September 28, 2017

Governor Brown has signed AB 1538 into law. The bill is a follow-up to AB 1008, which was signed in 2013 to protect our bargaining unit in Alameda County. AB 1538 reaffirms that UAPD is the exclusive bargaining representative of Alameda County physicians irrespective of when a physician joins the bargaining unit. Thank you all for the work doctors and staff put into getting the bill passed. Read more about the bill here.

Register Now – UAPD Annual Meeting and Free CME

August 29, 2017

The UAPD Annual Meeting and Free CME will be held on Saturday, October 28th at the Los Angeles Airport Marriott (5855 West Century Boulevard, Los Angeles) (MAP). All UAPD members are invited to attend.

For each of the events listed below, you can register online here. Most UAPD members are responsible for their own transportation and hotel costs to attend the meetings. UAPD will provide members with passes to cover parking at the hotel.

Saturday, October 28

8:30 am to 1 pm – CME/CE Course “Between a Rock and a Hard Place: Pain Management and Opioid Abuse.” Four (4) AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™, Four (4) Dental Board Credits, Four (4) ACPE Pharmacy Credits. Free for UAPD Members.

1 pm to 2 pm – UAPD Annual Meeting. UAPD President Dr. Stuart Bussey will lead a meeting of all UAPD members. Find out what’s going on in every sector of UAPD.

2 pm to 4 pm – Washington, State of California, County, CSU/UC, Retiree, and Private Practice Breakout Sessions. Meet with other UAPD members and staff from your own sector to discuss common issues.

Clarification about State Doctor Salary Memo

August 14, 2017

UAPD has received questions from CDCR and CCHCS doctors regarding a recent memorandum that was distributed to employees. The memorandum was titled “Excluded and Exempt Salary Increases for Fiscal Year 17-18.”

The 2017 pay increases described in that memorandum do not apply to doctors in BU 16 (aka UAPD-represented doctors). Per the UAPD’s Memorandum of Understanding with the State, the 2017 pay increase for BU 16 doctors is 3%, and it went into effect on July 1st. You can review this summary of the economic agreements in the current MOU; the entire MOU will be circulated once Cal-HR finishes preparing the document.

The “Excluded and Exempt” memorandum you received describes the 2017 salary increases for those who supervise doctors working in BU 16. Managers (M16) and Supervisors (S16) of BU 16 doctors will receive a 2% increase this year.

Our Partner

Search UAPD