UAPD won the first skirmish against the contracting agency Traditions Behavioral Health (TBH). Last June, Alameda Health System (AHS) contracted out employed psychiatric hours at John George Psychiatric Emergency Services, hours represented by UAPD, to TBH. UAPD filed suit against TBH for four causes of action: Unfair Competition, Intentional Interference with Contract, Intentional Interference with Prospective Economic Advantage, and Negligent Interference with Prospective Economic Advantage. TBH filed a demurrer (failure to state a claim) and an anti-SLAPP motion, procedural obstacles used to avoid answering our complaint. Alameda County Superior Court denied TBH’s anti-SLAPP motion and only granted TBH’s demurrer on the first cause of action with leave for UAPD to amend its complaint so as to rectify the first cause of action’s shortcomings. UAPD will now amend the complaint and TBH will soon be facing discovery over its illegal business practices. UAPD is also in litigation with AHS to compel AHS to arbitrate its decision to contract out UAPD employed hours represented by UAPD.
