The LA County contract ratified on February 22, 2008, provides:
General Salary Increase – Each physician in the UAPD bargaining unit will receive a 3% salary increase retroactive to January 1, 2008 and an additional 3% salary increase effective January 1, 2009.
New Twenty (20) Step Pay Scale- There will be a new physician pay schedule with 20 steps and a 3% salary increase per step (the old physician pay scale had 13 steps and a 2.75% increase per step). All physicians who do not receive university stipends will be placed on the new pay schedule retroactive to January 1, 2008. Physicians will be placed on the new pay schedule at the step that guarantees they receive a pay raise in addition to the 3% general increase. The additional increase in pay coming from that initial placement on the pay schedule will vary from .1% to 2.9%. Under the new pay schedule the top step will be 86%, including compounding, above the first step. The top step under the old pay schedule was 46% above the first step. (See below for discussion of continuing negotiations for how stipend physicians are to be placed on the new schedule).
New Effective Date for Receiving Step Increases – All physicians on the new pay schedule will receive the next step increase of 3% on July 1, 2008. Physicians will receive additional 3% step increases on July 1st of succeeding years.
Total Salary Increase for Physicians Not Receiving Stipends – All physicians not receiving university stipends will receive a pay increase of at least 12% over the next 17 months, plus the increase from their initial placement on the salary schedule. Additionally, any physician who is Board Certified will have their 5.5% Board Certification Bonuses recalculated and added to their base salary each time their base salary increases.
Stipends- Physicians receiving stipends will receive the 3% general salary increases on January 1, 2008 and January 1, 2009. Their placement on the new pay schedule is pending resolution of negotiations between the County, UCLA and USC. The UAPD”s position is that all of the stipends should be rolled into each physician’s base salary so that the physicians will receive general salary increases and step increases based on their new base salary. In addition, all of this new salary would be pensionable. The county’s negotiators have said that the UAPD’s proposal is reasonable and workable. The county agreed that no stipend money will be lost by county doctors as the result of the negotiations between the county and UCLA and USC. The UAPD is pushing the county and the universities to conclude their negotiations as quickly as possible so that physicians receiving stipends can get their step increases at the same time as the other physicians in the bargaining unit. If the stipend issue remains unresolved by June 15, 2008, the county and the UAPD have agreed to reopen negotiations on this crucial matter.
Megaflex and Flex and 401K Plan- All Physicians currently receiving Megaflex or Flex benefits will remain in the program. Currently eligible Physicians will retain the 401K plan and the county’s 3% matching contribution. Physicians hired after the approval of this agreement will placed in the county’s Choices benefit program.
Continuing Medical Education (CME) – Ten (10) CME days are guaranteed, with half of the time (40 hours) available for Home Study.
Job Security – The agreement provides for enhanced job security language.
Dispute Resolution – The agreement provides for due process for physician grievances with binding independent arbitration as the final step if grievances cannot be settled at an earlier step. Job evaluations must be conducted by county employees.