Planned Parenthood, new union reach agreement for first labor contract

Planned Parenthood workers in Minnesota and Iowa reached a tentative labor agreement with management this week, ending a contentious yearlong battle to secure bargaining rights, union officials said this week.

The tentative contract is the first for 430 Planned Parenthood North Central States workers who voted to form a union in 2022 and joined SEIU Healthcare Minnesota and Iowa.

This week's agreement, which still requires a full vote, comes after 37 bargaining sessions with Planned Parenthood, and comes after workers filed unfair labor complaints in April with the National Labor Relations Board. Those workers said Planned Parenthood subjected them to harassment and surveillance.

Planned Parenthood North Central States, one of the few abortion care providers in the state, denied any wrongdoing.

The tentative agreement is "testament to the determination and engagement of everyone at the table," said Molly Gage, vice president of human resources for the organization.

If approved as expected, the new contract will provide a 15-year wage scale for union jobs, a minimum-wage increase of 4.5% the first year and 11.75% total over three years. Planned Parenthood's lowest-paid employees will get a 17% wage hike during the first year of the agreement.

Contract language also incudes health care premium improvements and "robust language around harassment, equity and racial justice" that will involve ongoing labor-management dialogues and new grievance and arbitration procedures.

"I'm so excited that we reached a tentative agreement for our first union contract," said Shay Gingras, a senior research coordinator for five years at Planned Parenthood and a member of the bargaining committee.

"We've lost too many amazing staff members because of issues we have been facing inside and outside of the organization, so I am happy we won protections and other gains to recognize our important work supporting our patients," she said.

Gingras said Planned Parenthood workers faced increased challenges after the Supreme Court ruled abortion was not a constitutional right. That prompted other states to ban the procedure and greatly increased demand for patient services and staffing.

James Willging, a Planned Parenthood senior community organizer and a member of SEIU Healthcare's bargaining committee, said the agreement could help with staffing shortages.

"With this tentative agreement we won a clear and transparent wage scale, progressive discipline procedures, and improvements to our health care benefits, especially for people covering family members," Willging said.