The Valley Physicians Group, which represents Santa Clara (Calif.) County's employed physicians, podiatrists and dentists, has reached a tentative agreement with the county to avert a four-day strike.
The union represents more than 450 physicians in the county's public health and hospital system, according to an Oct. 27 VPG news release shared with Becker's.
Union members issued a strike notice Oct. 19 after authorizing a walkout earlier in the month. The strike was set to begin at 8 a.m. on Nov. 1 and continue through Nov. 4. However, both sides reached a tentative agreement Oct. 28 on a new contract, meaning the scheduled physicians strike will not proceed, according to a joint news release. The union and county said the tentative agreement will be voted on by the county's board of supervisors and union members. No further details about the contract were provided.
"The parties look forward to focusing their efforts on the shared commitment to provide the highest quality care to the patients we serve. As we did during the COVID-19 pandemic, we continue to deliver the excellent healthcare that all members of our community need and deserve," the union and county wrote.
"We are committed to working together to tackle a number of difficult challenges that all those who provide healthcare in this nation face, especially those who serve a safety-net population."
The county's public health and hospital system includes three hospitals — Santa Clara Valley Medical Center in San Jose, Calif., St. Louise Regional Hospital in Gilroy, Calif., and O'Connor Hospital, also in San Jose — along with a clinic system.