(THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA) - After a year of tough negotiations, coordinated collective actions and increasing political support, the Unionized Resident Physicians and Fellows at the University of California (UC) have reached a tentative agreement on their first statewide contract with UC Health.

Represented by the Committee of Interns and Residents (CIR/SEIU), the Doctors say the deal - which includes 18% salary increase, preservation of fertility benefits, improved access to radiation exposure equipment, Immigrant protections for patients and critical improvements to address Emergency Room capacity, among others - will directly impact their well-being and their ability to provide the best patient care for the 2.5 million Californians they serve across the State in the largest Public Health Care System in the U.S.     

UCLA Emergency Medicine Resident Dr. Diana Dayal said: “We are very happy with what we were able to negotiate for our futures, including the wage increases, better access to properly-fitting lead and enshrining our fertility benefits in this contract. However, we’re also really proud we were able to win language for our patients, especially for the Immigrant Communities we serve so that they can receive care with less fear, and for all our patients who have had to contend with issues related to Emergency Room capacity. This is a great starting point and we look forward to ratifying this contract and to continuing to advocate for all our patients at the UC’s from San Diego up to Sacramento.” 

This victory for UC Residents and Fellows comes after a 12-month-long contract fight, marked by UC executive representatives’ attempts to claw back existing benefits and protections while also submitting to pressures from the Trump Administration around DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

However, over the course of negotiations, the UC Residents and Fellows participated in a series of escalating collective actions that culminated most publicly in June in a series of 18 unity breaks at multiple UC sites in Sacramento, San Francisco, Fresno, Riverside, Los Angeles, Irvine, and San Diego, and neighboring Hospitals where the UC Residents and Fellows work.

CIR is the largest House Staff Union in the U.S., a Local of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), that represents more than 40,000 Resident Physicians and Fellows nationwide.

To Read This Labor News Story In Its Entirety, Go To: UC Resident Doctors Win Historic Statewide Contract after Year-Long Fight – Committee of Interns and Residents