Members of the Committee of Interns and Residents are set to hold a unity break rally Aug. 8 at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland (Calif.).
The union, a local of the Service Employees International Union, represents more than 22,000 resident physicians and fellows in the U.S., according to an Aug. 5 news release shared with Becker's. UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland is part of UCSF Benioff Children's Hospitals and among the region's only safety-net hospitals.
Union members started bargaining with hospital management in March and are working under a deal that expired July 31. They say they are not being adequately paid under their previous contract, which has not kept up with the cost of living in Oakland and hinders the hospital's ability to recruit and retain physicians of color, according to the union release. The union said members are seeking a new contract that meets their basic salary, housing, parental and sick leave needs.
In a statement shared with Becker's, UCSF said it has engaged in good faith bargaining and offered significant increases in union members' pay and housing allowances over the next three years.
"We remain committed to the bargaining process and to reaching a fair agreement to support our hospital trainees," the statement said. "We have reached out to the Federal Mediation and Conciliation services to assist the parties with the negotiation process, in hopes of reaching an agreement soon."