The Union of American Physicians and Dentists (UAPD), representing full-time (FTE) and per diem physicians employed by Ventura County, began contract negotiations with the County in May 2024. After months of bargaining, in September 2024 tentative agreements were reached and ratified.
Due to the strength and unity of the bargaining team and the members it represents, UAPD’s Ventura County bargaining unit won a historic victory: Physician Control Over their Schedule Templates and Peds Parity.
Physician Control Over their Schedule Templates: Each physician’s four-hour session (or 1/2 day schedule) schedules a maximum of 10 patients per half day or 20 per day. It is now at the physician’s discretion if he or she is willing to accommodate more patients per session. Management can no longer overload physicians’ schedules, without the physician’s consent.
Peds Parity: Pediatricians will now be paid on the same pay scale as family medicine physicians, effectively ending the stratification and hierarchy in the medical field.
The Ventura County Board of Supervisors approved the new three-year contracts for both groups of physicians on October 8, 2024. The successor contract, which includes many improvements to a wide range of benefits and working conditions, aims to ensure that Ventura County residents continue to receive high-quality medical care.
In addition to the historic union victory of physician control over their schedule templates and peds parity, other key highlights include:
- General salary increase
- FTE physicians: 13%
- 5.5% after Board of Supervisors approval
- 4% in 2025 (26 pay periods after first 2024 increase)
- 3.5% 2026 (26 pay periods after first 2025 increase)
- Per-diem physicians: 19%
- 11.5% after Board of Supervisors approval
- 4% in 2025 (26 pay periods after first 2024 increase)
- 3.5% in 2026 (26 pay periods after first 2025 increase)
- FTE physicians: 13%
- Improvements to schedule templates & working conditions
- Bilingual pay increase
- Personal Property Reimbursement Policy
- Resident/Student Supervision stipend increase
- APP supervision stipend increase
- 401k 2% non-elective employer paid contribution after five years (New)
- Professional membership reimbursement increased to $750 per year
Applicable to FTE physicians only:
- Annual continuing medical education (CME) increased to $3,000, prorated with a minimum of $2,000 (FTE physicians only)
- New contract language protecting intermittent pay
- Addition of DEI language
- Implementation of a Healthcare Cost Containment Committee
- Grievance remedy timeframe increased to 190 days
This successor contract is a testament to the strength and unity of UAPD’s collective bargaining power.