A California labor board said a unit of the Service Employees International Union may represent fellows and residents at Sacramento, Calif.-based UC Davis Health in bargaining, according to The Sacramento Bee.
The decision, by the state's Public Employment Relations Board, covers about 800 fellows and residents at the health system. The Committee of Interns and Residents will represent them.
"We want UC Davis Medical Center to meet us at the table, so that we can begin to negotiate a fair contract that values the work of resident physicians and ultimately helps improve patient care," said Edwin Kulubya, MD, a neurosurgery resident, in a news release cited by the Bee.
The labor board's decision was in response to a March request for the board to certify the union to negotiate for the workers. After examining documents signed by residents and fellows authorizing union representation, the labor board confirmed the validity of the signatures, based on information from UC Davis Health, and approved the request on May 9, according to the Bee.
The Committee of Interns and Residents also represents fellows and interns practicing at UCLA and UC San Francisco medical facilities.
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