First Contract Win at Oakland Children’s Hospital
Oakland residents leafleting.
Celebrating and Passing the Torch to Incoming Residents
For Hung Tran, MD, a PGY 1 at Children’s Hospital Oakland (CHO), in California, it was a surprise when he began his residency and found there was a union campaign underway. “I didn’t know what I was walking into,” he said.
“Initially I was on the fence. I thought, ‘I should just be a resident.’ Then I realized the seniors were right—a lot of things were missing. I was willing to go along with the administration until I went to my first negotiating session. It’s very important to go to negotiations! The attitude of the administration was that they are not going to change a thing. It was so hard to get really basic equipment, like an ophthalmoscope - simple things that help us do our jobs. There was a disconnect between people who run the hospital, and people who treat patients day-to-day. It’s actually more cost effective for the administration to help us do our job. I see the union as a bridge, bringing feedback from both sides,” Dr. Tran said.
At times, the process of negotiating for their first contract “was very frustrating,” said Sylvia Gonzalez, MD, a PGY 3 in Pediatrics. “But we weren’t going to let them tell us no. We had to keep going, because if we stopped, they would have just worn us out,” she said.
When the authorization vote was taken in December 2004, Dr. Tran added, “There was really good turnout. That definitely made the administration pay more attention to us, and realize that we are going to be in a union, whatever obstacles are ahead of us. We will be strong in numbers.”
As a result of their hard work, the 76 residents were able to ratify their first contract in March, 2005. Dr. Marlene Rodriguez, also a PGY 3, said, “We will be leaving the incoming residents much better off than we were, with 10% raises for interns, and additional increases over the life of the contract; paid time for orientation (a week-long period that wasn’t paid before); and moving expenses of $2,500, as well as increases in book allowances for each year.” Additional gains include a signing bonus ranging from $500 to $1,500 depending on PGY level, and increased money for meal allowances.
Dr. Tran, who was elected CIR delegate, looks forward to the process ahead. “Residents will be happier here now, in an environment that is supportive," he said.