At the US's largest veterinary hospital, UPTE members blow the whistle on staffing and patient care concerns
Like so many members across the state, UPTE members at the William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital (VMTH) at UC Davis have been calling on management to address a number issues including high levels of turnover, slow hiring processes, inequitable salaries, and the need for weekend and holiday pay differentials to better incentivize filling these shifts. All of these problems affect the standard of care people expect when they bring their animal for care.
VMTH is the largest veterinary school in the country, and UPTE members there are on the cutting edge of educational, research, clinical service, and public service programs focused on the health of animals as well as related human health concerns, such as public health. For staff, the work is a labor of love—but that isn't an excuse for management to take advantage of their dedication.
"I got into veterinary medicine because I love animals and I want to help these little guys who can't speak for themselves. I heard so much about VMTH being a top-tier facility, but then I got here and saw the reality of our protocols, equipment, and staffing. I felt crushed—I built up this image in my mind and then the reality was totally different and the rose-tinted glasses came off. If people knew how much patient care was slipping here, I don't think they'd bring their pets to Davis. I don't even know that I would leave my own pet here overnight," said Cheyenne Dutton. "The animals we care for deserve the best care possible and that's why so many of us stick around to try and improve things here. It really feels like management takes advantage of our love for this work, though."
Members have reported that prices went up twice last year and again once this year, but have not seen the level and quality of care increase to match those higher prices, and working conditions have not improved for staff.
In October of last year, over 100 signed a petition asking management to address the staffing crisis at VMTH. We also launched an email campaign demanding that management take meaningful action to address the issues outlined in our petition. While we have seen some improvements to staffing and equity, there is still work to do to make misclassified workers whole, provide more equitable shift differentials for weekend work, and address wage compaction.
People's pets are family members. At the end of the day, workers at VMTH just want to be able to maintain staffing levels that would allow them to give every animal the skilled care, comfort, and attention they deserve.
"Patients are getting their medications and diagnostics on time but it's the little things that are slipping through the cracks and they can add up fast. We can't robustly assess a patient, sit with them to see if they're improving or declining, and provide comfort and and care to them when they are scared if we are forced to rush from patient to patient and only do the bare minimum," said Cheyenne. "When you bring your pet to us at a scary and vulnerable time, do you want someone who is going to be cold, clinical, and robotic? Or someone who is able to provide warmth, comfort, and attention to these scared, isolated, and vulnerable animals?"
Stay tuned for updates on how you can support VMTH workers.