We have been negotiating with the newly formed Physician Assistants union (UPAMM) since September 2020. In December, UPAMM representatives shared their interest in expediting negotiations by submitting a package proposal to reach a short term, “mini contract.”

This “mini contract” would address certain key issues while clarifying and preserving many other current practices, like our Medical Staff Bylaws processes involving clinical and professional practice. We agreed to explore this approach, but with the understanding that we would return to negotiating a full contract if we were unable to make significant progress toward key provisions in the “mini contract” by early January.

While we have made some progress on certain issues, several of the remaining issues on the table are complex, and require thoughtful and thorough solutions developed in collaboration with teams and colleagues across the organization. Some of these more nuanced issues involve the discipline and grievance and arbitration processes, which are particularly challenging because physician assistants are subject to regulatory and Joint Commission oversight as privileged and credentialed providers.  

Our most recent “mini contract” package proposal included an across-the-board salary increase and a signing bonus, both payable in January 2021, immediate restoration of Continuing Medical Education funding and paid days for attending CME programs, and additional across-the-board salary increases in July 2021 and July 2022. While both parties see the economic package as a key negotiation topic, based on our last proposals, the teams’ proposals were far apart on the amount of the salary increases.

Other items offered in our most recent “mini-contract” proposal included a mechanism for PAs who work excessive hours on an extended basis to have their workload concerns addressed and to be considered for additional compensation when appropriate, and a specified amount of quarterly protected administrative time for inpatient PAs to conduct scholarly activities such as research, clinical simulation presentations, quality improvement initiatives, etc.

UPAMM’s latest proposal for a “mini-contract” still contains many items that would represent major changes for the PAs. Therefore, negotiating over their proposals will necessitate a great deal of clarification for both parties, as well as more bargaining time, before we can get to a set of terms agreeable to both parties.

Given all this, we shared with UPAMM our intention to end our exploration of the “mini contract,” and continue with bargaining for a “full” agreement, as we were doing prior to UPAMM presenting its “mini-contract” package concept.  

To support continued participation in negotiations by the UPAMM bargaining team members, we recently offered a standard allotment of paid release time for each member of the UPAMM bargaining team to attend bargaining sessions. This offer was designed to recognize the investment of time into this process by the members of the UPAMM bargaining team, while ensuring that we continue to balance patient care needs and avoid significant disruption to crucial operations. No agreement has been reached at this point.

We look forward to continuing negotiations with UPAMM representatives to develop a fair and reasonable collective bargaining agreement, and will move forward as efficiently as the issues – and the work of finding mutually beneficial solutions - will permit.