Prior to negotiations, your HOA staff and President and President-elect met with Dr. Miller (President of the Michigan Medicine Health System) and the CFO, Paul Castillo, about the financial health of the organization.  Dr. Miller thanked all House Officers for their hard work and devotion to patients over the last 3 years.  Dr. Miller's presentation reinforced what we already knew, Michigan Medicine is an extremely healthy organization when it comes to finances.  The projections for added revenue once the Pavilion opens were impressive.

Bargaining began with the most congenial opening session we've had in 6 years.  Two-way communication was forthcoming by both teams.  It is abundantly clear, that while we have one collective bargaining agreement, consistent implementation across departments remains an obstacle.  

While the ACGME determines "Sponsoring Institutional Requirements," the administration needs only to be "largely in compliance."  By incorporating as much ACGME language as possible into our Collective Bargaining Agreement, there is legal enforceability.  Codifying ACGME language into our Agreement, is one of our many goals.

Your labor is cheap, but it shouldn't be free!  Next week we'll present and defend our compensation proposal and language on additional pay for Extra On-call.  Additionally, we have included a ratification bonus for all House Officers in the June 30th payroll.  House Officers have helped build the profits we keep reading about by working above and beyond these past 3 years due to the organization's continued struggles with staffing.  Our proposals reflect your hard work and continued dedication!