After sticking together through months of difficult bargaining, Santa Clara doctors have won an agreement that meets all of their key demands. The Agreement was ratified overwhelmingly by members this week; next it goes to the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors for final approval. The Agreement brings the benefits of UAPD-represented doctors in Santa Clara County line with what County doctors working outside of the UAPD unit receive. UAPD doctors won the ability to cash out half of their 36 Annual Leave days each year, as well as a reduction in their employee pension contribution. CME and medical dues reimbursements were restored, the number of bereavement leave days was increased, and life insurance levels were raised. There were also improvements to salaries, on-call pay, and extra shift pay for some doctors in the contract. After months of refusals, Santa Clara management finally agreed late last month to credit bargaining unit doctors for the increase in revenue created by the doctors’ assignment of EHR Incentive funds to the county. That increase in revenue was more than enough to offset the cost of the benefit improvements that UAPD had been proposing since last year.
