Planned Parenthood Negotiations Updates 2024
December 20, 2024
Planned Parenthood Bargaining Update 8 – December 20, 2024
We met with Planned Parenthood today for our last bargaining session of the year, and we have made some encouraging progress. We’ve added to what we currently have at Planned Parenthood, but they have not yet agreed to key issues that are important to us in a first contract like having union stewards and providing union staff access to the facilities.
The hardest contract to negotiate is always the first one. However, it is the most important contract we’ll bargain on as it provides a lot of protections and guarantees at the workplace with a grievance procedure to allow enforcement of these protections, including severance pay, differentials, and ensured annual wage increases for employees. But in order to get these protections in place, it oftentimes requires us to compromise and make hard decisions. We are currently weighing those hard choices at the bargaining table.
Remember, once we conclude negotiations, you will have the opportunity to review and vote on your contract.
We have two more negotiation dates scheduled for January 8 and 23, 2025, and in the meantime, please do not hesitate to reach out to your bargaining committee (Alex, Amy, Elaine, or Eunice) if you have any questions on our fight to gain our first contract. We post all of these updates on social media, so make sure you’re following us to keep up to date:
https://www.instagram.com/pposbcworkersunited
https://www.instagram.com/ufcw324
https://www.facebook.com/UFCW324
https://www.tiktok.com/@ufcw324
https://bsky.app/profile/ufcw324.bsky.social
In solidarity,
Your Planned Parenthood Bargaining Committee
December 5, 2024
Planned Parenthood Bargaining Update 7 – December 5, 2024
We just completed our latest bargaining session with Planned Parenthood and received a revised wage proposal. The organization acknowledged that there needs to be annual wage increases, but their proposal still does not adequately account for inflation and the high cost of living in Southern California.
The union has demonstrated flexibility to address staffing and differentials and await the organization’s response. Additionally, we have proposed measures that would give employees a greater role in analyzing staffing levels, along with a revised wage proposal that reflects our commitment to reaching a deal that works for you.
We have received the organization’s healthcare proposal for the first time and we will be reviewing it before our next bargaining session. We recognize that Planned Parenthood is committed to small increases in your premiums and look forward to further discussions. We saw slow movement during today’s negotiations, but we value the small progress we have made so far on the contract you deserve.
Please do not hesitate to reach out to your bargaining committee (Alex, Amy, Elaine, or Eunice) if you have any questions. Make sure you’re following us on social media to keep up with everything happening with our fight for a first contract:
https://www.instagram.com/pposbcworkersunited
https://www.instagram.com/ufcw324
https://www.facebook.com/UFCW324
https://www.tiktok.com/@ufcw324
https://bsky.app/profile/ufcw324.bsky.social
In solidarity,
Your Planned Parenthood Bargaining Committee
November 22, 2024
Planned Parenthood finally handed us their initial wage offer and we are disappointed. Their offer includes a wage increase for only one year that would occur in July 2025. Months after our contract is effective! Furthermore, after the first year, wage increases are not guaranteed and are based on their evaluation of your performance. Due to the increased cost of living, we have been pushing for annual wage increases. But they are unwilling to guarantee an annual fixed increase. Additionally, the organization is unwilling to add any holidays, increase any differentials, or add seniority increases. This counterproposal falls short of addressing our concerns and delivering us the wages we deserve as health care providers.
Amid uncertainty for the future of Planned Parenthood’s federal and state funding, we are operating with the belief that Planned Parenthood will continue to respect the value of its employees no matter what. As California has become a safe haven for out-of-state patients, we are serious about negotiating a union contract that enables Planned Parenthood workers to provide additional care sustainably.
Even though we are unhappy with the organization’s wage proposal, we are not discouraged because we know our colleagues are worth the fight and deserve a workplace they’re proud to return to. We will continue distributing our new buttons to show your solidarity for a fair contract and show Planned Parenthood you’re willing to fight back to ensure you get a good contract. Let your bargaining committee (Alex, Amy, Elaine, or Eunice) know if you don’t receive a new button and we’ll get you one. If you have any questions about bargaining, please do not hesitate to reach out.
Our remaining bargaining dates in 2024 are December 5 and December 20. In 2025, we will be meeting on January 8 and January 23. Make sure you’re following us on social media to keep up with everything happening with our fight for a first contract:
https://www.instagram.com/pposbcworkersunited
https://www.instagram.com/ufcw324
https://www.facebook.com/UFCW324
https://twitter.com/ufcw324
https://www.tiktok.com/@ufcw324
https://bsky.app/profile/ufcw324.bsky.social
In solidarity,
Your Planned Parenthood Bargaining Committee
November 7, 2024
Yet again, Planned Parenthood was not ready to discuss the economic issues most important to us. This lack of movement is frustrating, especially during a time when the results of the national election have profound implications for health care. More than ever, our communities rely on Planned Parenthood to provide a wide range of health services with top-quality care.
Workloads have increased immensely since Planned Parenthood opened its doors to out-of-state patients needing health care. As the demand for services grows, the organization must compensate its employees fairly to maintain the full, essential level of care. We are on the front lines, providing critical services, often under difficult circumstances, and we deserve compensation that reflects the value of our work. Without fair compensation, Planned Parenthood risks undermining the very care that is so desperately needed in these challenging times.
We believe that Planned Parenthood must do better for us during a time when our services will be needed more than ever. Our next bargaining session will be on November 22nd and Planned Parenthood has assured us that they will deliver proposals on wages, holidays, vacations, and sick and bereavement leave.
Throughout this process, we must stay united and strong. We will start distributing new buttons to show your solidarity for a fair contract and show Planned Parenthood you’re willing to fight back to ensure you get a good contract. Let your bargaining committee (Alex, Amy, Elaine, or Eunice) know if you don’t receive a new button and we’ll get you one. If you have any questions about bargaining, please do not hesitate to reach out.
Make sure you’re following us on social media to keep up with everything happening with our fight for a first contract:
https://www.instagram.com/pposbcworkersunited
https://www.instagram.com/ufcw324/
https://www.facebook.com/UFCW324
https://twitter.com/ufcw324
https://www.tiktok.com/@ufcw324
In solidarity,
Your Planned Parenthood Bargaining Committee
October 21, 2024
It has been four weeks since our last bargaining session and we had high expectations that Planned Parenthood would show promising movement this week. However, we experienced disappointing and frustrating conversations that went back to topics that were already discussed. We have already presented contract language that other Planned Parenthood affiliates have agreed upon, but the organization has countered with restrictions and barriers to union representative access.
At this point, we still have not received the organization’s overall position on staffing, wages, benefits, and premiums. They expect to present their counter-proposal on those issues during our November bargaining sessions. Based on their past actions, we are not optimistic that they will be prepared. Without any movement or a full overview of what this contract can look like, we are unsure how the organization intends to move forward.
We will next meet with the company on November 7, when Planned Parenthood intends to present its counter-proposals on hours of work and overtime, leaves of absence, and tuition reimbursement. We have additional bargaining sessions on November 22, December 5, and December 20, 2024, and expect to make more progress than we have in these last four sessions.
Stay tuned for more actions you can take to demonstrate our strength and unity. Make sure you’re following us on social media to keep up with everything happening with our fight for a first contract:
https://www.instagram.com/pposbcworkersunited
https://www.instagram.com/ufcw324
https://www.facebook.com/UFCW324
https://www.tiktok.com/@ufcw324
In solidarity,
Your Planned Parenthood Bargaining Committee
September 23, 2024
Today, we met with Planned Parenthood for another day of bargaining. We are pleased with the company’s movement on issues such as union security and grievance procedures. However, we still have not received a response on our most important issues—staffing, wages, benefits, and premiums. We are disappointed that the company is taking so long to address these issues, especially when our next meeting is almost a month away. We hope that it is not the company’s intent to drag negotiations into the next year.
We will meet again with the company on October 21, November 7, November 22, December 5, and December 20, 2024, and expect to make more progress than we have in these last three sessions.
As we navigate this process, let’s show Planned Parenthood that we are united and strong. Please take a selfie in your Planned Parenthood union shirt, upload it to social media, and tag @plannedparenthhoodosbc to let the company know that we are standing together for the contract we deserve. Also, please continue to wear your button every day during our bargaining sessions to show Planned Parenthood that we are serious about a fair contract. Let Alex, Amy, Elaine or Eunice know if you don’t have a button and we’ll get you one.
This Wednesday, September 25, we’re holding a webinar at 7PM so you can get an update on bargaining. Join the call with this link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84592011554?pwd=Ay9DQlkZTOMXfBMsfIos1nmZbAzJ6D.1
Stay tuned for more actions you can take to demonstrate our strength and unity. Make sure you’re following us on social media to keep up with everything happening with our fight for a first contract:
https://www.instagram.com/pposbcworkersunited
https://www.instagram.com/ufcw324
https://www.facebook.com/UFCW324
https://www.tiktok.com/@ufcw324
In solidarity,
Your Planned Parenthood Bargaining Committee
September 13, 2024
This week, we met with Planned Parenthood for a second round of bargaining. While we have reached a few tentative agreements on issues such as progressive discipline and severance pay, the company is delaying bargaining on our most important issues like safety, staffing, wages, benefits, and premiums. We will meet again with the company on September 23, October 21, November 7, and November 22, 2024 and we’re expecting to add more dates as we go.
While we go through this process, we must stay united and strong. Wear your button every day we have a bargaining session to show Planned Parenthood that we’re standing together to ensure we get the contract we deserve. Let your bargaining committee (Alex, Amy or Elaine) know if you don’t have a button and we’ll get you one.
We’re also holding a webinar on Wednesday, September 25 at 7PM so you can get an update on bargaining. Join the call with this link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84592011554?pwd=Ay9DQlkZTOMXfBMsfIos1nmZbAzJ6D.1
Stay tuned for more actions you can take to demonstrate our strength and unity. Make sure you’re following us on social media to keep up with everything happening with our fight for a first contract:
https://www.instagram.com/pposbcworkersunited
https://www.instagram.com/ufcw324
https://www.facebook.com/UFCW324
https://twitter.com/ufcw324
https://www.tiktok.com/@ufcw324
In solidarity,
Your Planned Parenthood Bargaining Committee
August 21, 2024
After two years of fighting to have our voice heard we finally had our first bargaining session with Planned Parenthood today! We began the session by presenting all of our proposals, including fair wages that reflect our vital healthcare role, staffing levels, benefits, and policies and procedures to keep us and our patients safe.
There is still a lot of work to be done and this process takes time, and we understand that not all proposals we came with today will be agreed upon, but we’re optimistic Planned Parenthood is open to negotiating with us to get a contract that we deserve.
We will meet again with the company on September 13 and 23 and October 21, 2014, for our second round of bargaining. Between now and then, Planned Parenthood will consider the proposals we made and we have asked them to return to us with a thoughtful response.
Stay tuned for actions you can take to ensure we get the contract we deserve and follow us on social media to keep up with everything happening with our fight for a first contract:
https://www.instagram.com/pposbcworkersunited
https://www.instagram.com/ufcw324
https://www.facebook.com/UFCW324
https://www.tiktok.com/@ufcw324
In solidarity,
Your Planned Parenthood Bargaining Committee
