Doctor Alleges Ouster, Unionizing Effort Linked

A former San Joaquin General Hospital obstetrician has filed a $10-million suit against the county, alleging that it tried to punish him for seeking to unionize doctors.

In the suit filed last week, Dr. David Gran claims the county hospital wrongfully accused him of poor patient care and unprofessional behavior after he started a union campaign and complained about inadequate staffing.

County hospital officials terminated Gran’s contract on May 15 with a severance package of three months’ pay. He had worked at the hospital since 1994.

Gran said he has been a doctor for 20 years, “and nothing like this ever happened until I said ‘union.’ I knew this was a witch hunt. Anyone who speaks up immediately gets disciplined.”

“We don’t have to give a reason,” County Counsel Robyn Truitt Drivon said. “[The county] determined that Dr. Gran’s services were no longer necessary.”