Loma Linda, CA — In a move that could have implications for Adventist health care systems across the United States, residents and fellows at Loma Linda University Health (LLUH) in California have begun the process of unionizing.
On February 11, 2023, LLUH residents and fellows received an email announcing:
“For the past several years, a number of residents and fellow physicians have been working to improve our experience here at Loma Linda University Medical Center (LLUMC). With great excitement, we are pleased to announce that LLU residents and fellows have joined forces with the Union of American Physicians & Dentists (UAPD) to formally organize our house staff for greater collective bargaining to improve salaries and working conditions.”
The email continued by stating that residents and fellows have begged for better working conditions, including fairer wages, call rooms, and meal and living stipends for years—but that the requests have been repeatedly denied, with hospital administration citing a lack of funding. The email alleged that hospital administration became willing to cater to “some, not all,” of their requests only after learning that residents were organizing a union drive.