FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 27, 2021
Press Contact: Tricia Piper-Bennett
E: patricia@telegraphpr.com
P: (415) 914-5511
UC Davis Resident and Fellow Physicians Near First Contract
After 20 months of negotiations with Hospital Administrators, Resident Bargaining Committee members recommend “Yes” vote
Sacramento – Monday marked a momentous victory for UC Davis Resident and Fellow physicians when Hospital administrators approved their counter-offer for a $4,000 housing allowance, a benefit that would improve the diversity of future UC Davis Residents. In a meeting last night, Committee of Interns and Residents/SEIU (CIR/SEIU) bargaining committee members recommended a “yes” vote on the current proposal, bringing forth a Memorandum of Understanding, and an end to a grueling 20-month contract negotiation.
“It has been a long road, but I am thrilled that the university has acknowledged the need to recruit and retain diverse physicians for the Sacramento community. This new contract addresses the needs of physician Residents and Fellows in the year 2021, and sets the bar for future negotiations,” said Dr. Debi Thomas, a 4th-year General Surgery Resident. “We have established mutual respect and a working relationship between the administration and the Residents and Fellows who are the backbone of the hospital.”
Contract highlights also include 6-weeks paid parental leave, as well as an annual $1,000 educational reimbursement for Residents and Fellows to access equipment, medical journals and other training needs.
“We are excited to have one of the strongest paid parental leave policies in the UC system and a housing allowance that will help us afford living nearer to the hospital,” said Dr. Scott Korotkin, 2nd-year Family Medicine Resident. “Many of us already carry over $250,000 in student loan debt. Having new money stipulated in our contract will allow us to provide excellent patient care without adding to our financial burdens.”
The nearly 800 UC Davis Resident and Fellow physicians joined the Committee of Interns and Residents (CIR/SEIU) in May 2019 to attain consistency and security in their contracts as they advocated to improve working conditions and patient care.
The administration approved CIR/SEIU’s counter-proposal on Monday after over 30 bargaining sessions between members and administration. Members continued escalation to bring attention to contract inequity at UC Davis, including four Unity Breaks, a postcard action and banner drop.
The Committee of Interns and Residents (CIR) is the largest housestaff union in the United States. A local of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), representing over 18,000 Resident physicians and Fellows. Our members are dedicated to improving residency training and education, advancing patient care, and expanding healthcare access for our communities.
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