Acupuncture Providers Bargaining Team
Jorge Intal, PhD, DAOM, Dipl. OM, LAc
Diana Kobland, Dipl. OM, LAc
Grace Ouchida, DACM, Dipl. OM, LAc
Jun Lim, UNAC/UHCP Legal Director, lead negotiator
Eric Wiesner, UNAC/UHCP Legal Counsel, second chair
Acupuncture Providers: Bargaining Update May 29, 2025
Building A Shared Purpose
Our bargaining session this week opened with a powerful moment: Acupuncture providers shared why they chose to unionize and spoke to the challenges they face on the job.
Jorge, Diana, and Grace spoke with clarity and conviction about their work, emphasizing the importance of having a strong voice in the workplace to protect both providers and patients. Their stories—invited by the management team—highlight the unique role acupuncture plays in patient care, and the urgent need for representation and support.
A Meaningful Platform for Providers
Management negotiators were engaged and receptive throughout the conversation. They asked thoughtful questions and showed a genuine interest in understanding the acupuncture profession more deeply. With no acupuncture providers currently on the management team, several acknowledged that they’re still learning about the field.
Using interest-based bargaining principles, both sides recognized a shared goal: Create a meaningful platform for acupuncture providers to help shape the policies and practices that affect their work across all departments and facilities.
We’re still early in the process, but each session builds our momentum and strengthens our resolve. Thank you for standing with us: We feel your support every step of the way.
Our Bargaining Team
Our bargaining team is working hard to represent us. They are:
• Jorge Intal, PhD, DAOM, Dipl. OM, LAc, jorge.intal[at]gmail.com
• Diana Kobland, Dipl. OM, LAc, dkobland[at]gmail.com
• Grace Ouchida, DACM, Dipl. OM, LAc, elementalgrace[at]gmail.com
• Jun Lim, UNAC/UHCP Legal Director, lead negotiator
• Eric Wiesner, UNAC/UHCP Legal Counsel, second chair
What’s Next?
The next bargaining session is on June 23 and 24 in Oakland, CA. Please contact one of the bargaining team members if you have any questions.
Acupuncture Providers: Bargaining Update May 8, 2025
Fired Up for Our First Contract
On Monday, May 5 and Tuesday, May 6, we met with management in Oakland, CA to start our contract negotiations. We applied the principles of Interest-Based Bargaining (IBB) that we learned in a joint labor-management training last week to this week’s discussions.
We had productive dialogue with management about ground rules, which will help focus our conversations to be rooted in shared interests and collaborative problem-solving. During our caucus time, we formulated a list of interests and began to craft language for our proposals. The acupuncture providers decided to combine with the much larger United Therapists of Northern California (UTNC) bargaining unit to have increased power to address fundamental issues common to all healthcare professionals in our region. We are currently conducting our own bargaining sessions to address challenges specific to our profession and practice.
We are excited to have started bargaining our first contract. While we were disappointed that management refused to reduce several verbally agreed-to ground rules into writing, we remain optimistic that both sides remain committed to IBB principles and to bargain in good faith to reach an agreement.
Our Bargaining Team
Our bargaining team is working hard to represent us. They are:
• Jorge Intal, PhD, DAOM, Dipl. OM, LAc, jorge.intal[at]gmail.com
• Diana Kobland, Dipl. OM, LAc, dkobland[at]gmail.com
• Grace Ouchida, DACM, Dipl. OM, LAc, elementalgrace[at]gmail.com
• Jun Lim, UNAC/UHCP Legal Director, lead negotiator
• Eric Wiesner, UNAC/UHCP Legal Counsel, second chair
What’s Next?
The next bargaining session is on Tuesday, May 27, 2025 in Berkeley, CA. Please contact one of the bargaining team members if you have any questions.