UAPD is doing several things to bridge the pay gap between public sector physicians and the contractors that are sometimes used to do their work. Here is a short list:
UAPD jointly co-authored a report with CalHR (State of California) called “BU 16 Recruitment and Retention“ which addresses the pay disparity between State-employed doctors and doctors working on contracts. The report calls for increasing compensation for State-employed doctors to a level that fills vacancies while saving the State money by reducing its reliance on more-costly contractors. A state budget legislative oversight hearing is being convened to review the recommendations.
UAPD is sponsoring SB 422 (Pan), which is making its way to the Governor for his signature. The bill will set up a state doctor registry. Modeled after a successful program in Los Angeles, the registry will offer State-employed union doctors greater pay for extra work.
UAPD is also authoring AB 657 (Cooper). This bill caps the length of a doctor’s contract at 365 consecutive days, making it necessary for doctors who want long-term work to come aboard as employees. This bill is also moving toward the governors office for a signature.
UAPD recently amended AB 650 (Maratuchi). This bill provides an annual $10,000 bonus to state public sector health care workers who were employed during the pandemic.
UAPD will be reopening it’s State MOU in August of this year. At issue is the distribution of $27 billion in federal funding intended for essential public sector health care workers who were employed during the pandemic in CA.
Those are just some of the initiatives currently underway.