Physicians and dentists working at Los Angeles County-run hospitals, clinics and other county facilities have made plans to go on strike shortly after Christmas to protest what their union describes as inadequate benefits and dire vacancies.
The Union of American Physicians and Dentists said Wednesday that it had set a Dec. 27 date for a walkout after more than two years of negotiations had failed to address concerns among more than 1,100 doctors, dentists and other county employees who recently authorized a strike.
Chief among those concerns are the benefits offered to county physicians and other medical professionals, which the UAPD argued have failed to make the county an attractive healthcare employer.
For instance, the union said it has been especially difficult to recruit and retain female staff because of insufficient benefits for people recovering from childbirth. Doctors said they have had to work extra hours while pregnant to extend their maternity leaves.