For the last year, medical interns and resident physicians at Sutter Health have been negotiating their contracts with the healthcare company.
They say they want increased on-site security and higher wages, but they aren’t happy with Sutter’s most recent offer: a three-percent increase over the next three years, or a one percent increase per year.
Supervisor Dean Preston and a dozen members of the carpenters Service Employees International Union joined the rally on Monday.
In a speech to the crowd, Supervisor Preston called the offer insulting. High rents in San Francisco, and debt from medical school means that many of them are struggling to pay their bills.
According to Sutter Health’s website, the base salary for a resident physician can be as low as 67 thousand dollars a year. And they’re not offered overtime, despite often working more than 40 hours-a-week.
In addition to salary negotiations, interns and residents are asking for increased security measures, particularly at Sutter Health’s inpatient psychiatric unit, where staff say things can get violent.
Sutter Health says they spent more than $40 million on safety and security measures at the psych facility, including an onsite security guard seven days a week, from 9am to 7pm, but residents and interns want 24/7 security.
Negotiations between Sutter Health and staff are expected to continue.
