As Loma Linda University Health residents and fellows, we face continuing challenges, such as but not limited to marginal call room access, poor protection of duty hours, lack of representation, lower salaries compared to surrounding residency programs, and ineffective administrative responsiveness. However, in consideration of the risks and benefits, we do not believe unionization is the best way to address these issues.
Some of the reasons behind this sentiment include the following:
The priority of the union is not you. A union is fundamentally a business and political entity, and your concerns and priorities do not need to be comprehensively addressed (or addressed at all) for a union to fulfill their requirements and to collect their dues.
Marginal possible increase in benefits with the added cost of compulsory dues. Overall, wages and benefits are major topics addressed in union contracts. As outlined by by the residency comparison section on this website, the current LLUH resident benefits package is comparable with or better than that of other residency programs in California.
Loss of the individual’s self-representation rights. Individuals in a bargaining unit are bound by the rules and contracts imposed by union, an entity which may not be aligned with their personal values. The union would exclusively represent ALL residents and fellows, even if an individual is not a member and declines to pay dues. The employer, therefore, would be prohibited from negotiating with individual employees (or a group of employees) on issues covered by the contract.
California is not a “Right-to-Work” state. This means that if a union includes a union-security clause in their bargaining agreement (which is common), all employees in the unit are required to begin paying union dues and fees even if they are not a member of the union. If a resident objects to being a member of the union and/or paying dues and fees, there are two options: 1) object to full membership and “pay only that share of dues used directly for representation,” (which is generally a majority portion of the dues), or 2) object to union membership on religious grounds and “pay an amount equal to dues to a nonreligious charitable organization” [NLRA].
Political action regardless of your support. The UAPD uses dues to fund political action and lobbying as well as to maintain affiliations with AFSCME and ALF-CIO (organizations which also fund political lobbying). Funds can be used to support causes and candidates of their choosing, without consideration of your personal beliefs.
The priority of the union is not the mission of LLUH. As residents and fellows, many of us sought training at LLUH because we value and support its unique mission and purpose. The UAPD’s vision includes representing the “interests of our members in the workplace, the country, and the state capitol,” advocating collectively, and accomplishing their mission, in part, by “building political power.” The mission of UAPD and the mission of LLUH do not align.
We hope to promote an environment of open, honest, and persistent dialogue among residents and between residents and program and hospital administration to identify solutions to ongoing resident concerns.