On the 51st anniversary of the Supreme Court’s decision in Roe v. Wade, Planned Parenthood Northern California workers announced their unionization efforts today at all of the nonprofit’s 18 regional locations, including a San Francisco health center at 1522 Bush St.
A “supermajority” of the organization’s hundreds of clinicians, nurses, social workers, administrative and support staff voiced their support for the forthcoming union, PPNorCal Workers United, through union authorization cards, according to Service Employees International Union Local 1021, which PPNorCal Workers United intends to join.
Chelsea Fink, a communications specialist with SEIU 1021, said the union drive grew rapidly over the past two months, fueled by the short staffing and scheduling issues that have plagued Planned Parenthood since the Supreme Court ended federal protections for abortion rights in June 2022.
Since then, out-of-state patients have been traveling to California for abortion services. According to data provided by SEIU 1021, Planned Parenthood Northern California has expanded its hours of operation and has seen a 38 percent spike in abortion demand without a corresponding increase in staff.
Exhausted employees therefore looked to unionize to demand more staffing.
“I’m proud to stand alongside my fellow PPNorCal workers in forming a union that will lift us all up,” said Erika Kumar, a reproductive health specialist and flow coordinator at Planned Parenthood Northern California. “Unions are a way for workers’ voices to be heard, to improve our working conditions and the care we provide for our community.”
This morning, SEIU 1021 sent a letter on behalf of the workers to Planned Parenthood Northern California CEO Gilda Gonzales, requesting voluntary recognition of the union within 72 hours. As of Monday evening, management had not yet responded. If management chooses not to recognize the union, workers will have to go through a formal union election process.
The nonprofit’s senior management did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Since 2022, Planned Parenthood workers have launched unionization campaigns for similar reasons in at least seven states where abortion remains legal, including Iowa, Minnesota, and Massachusetts. Last September, some 550 Planned Parenthood workers in southern California also voted to join SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West.
Good. We’ll see how noble PP is when it comes to the care of it’s employees.
About 43% of Planned Parenthood revenues came from government reimbursements or grants in the 2014-2015 fiscal year. Out of the $1.29 billion in total revenue, $553.7 million came from the government reimbursing Planned Parenthood for providing medical services covered by programs such as Medicaid or from government grants from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The remainder of revenues mostly come from donations (27%) and patient fees (24%).
They can afford union employees.