Dear Los Angles Physicians,
Members of BU 324 overwhelming ratified the tentative agreement reached between the Union of American Physicians and Dentists (UAPD) and Los Angeles County in August. The new contract for LA County physicians will go into effect pending approval by the County Board of Supervisors. UAPD is urging the CEO’s office to submit the Agreement to the Board as soon as possible, and will let members know as soon as the contract is approved.
One highlight of the new contract is the creation of the In-House Physician Registry. The UAPD negotiating team convinced the County that there are alternatives to using expensive outside contractors in situations where flexibility in physician staffing is required. The County agreed to create a In-House Physicians Registry composed of members of BU 324 in order to test whether it is in fact more cost-effective to use County-employed physicians to provide supplemental services.
During this pilot program, each County department wishing to participate in the In-House Physician Registry will designate a coordinator who will serve as that department’s point of contact. Physicians in Bargaining Unit 324 who elect to join the registry in a particular department will notify that department’s coordinator of their interest and then provide their availability for work on a monthly basis. Physicians will be able place themselves on the registry list for departments outside the one in which they currently work.
To be compensated for their registry work, physicians will be given an additional temporary item position. Registry work may not exceed 24 hours in a given week; those hours can be worked after normally scheduled hours, on days off and during weekends. Compensation for the additional temporary position shall be up to 135% of the physician’s normal base hourly wage. If it’s determined that there is a shortage of physicians within one of the specialties identified in the physician pay plan, the hourly rate may be increased. Part-time physicians may also participate in this program.
While we await Board approval of the Agreement, the County and UAPD continue to meet regularly through the Joint Labor Management Committee to finalize details of the program. We hope to have the program up and running smoothly as soon as possible after the Board of Supervisors adopts the Agreement.
UAPD encourages union members with questions about the In-House Registry program to contact their Labor Representative in the Los Angeles office. The Union is committed to helping Los Angeles doctors make the most out of the new program.
In Solidarity,
Stuart A. Bussey, MD JD
President, UAPD