MINNEAPOLIS – SEIU Healthcare Minnesota & Iowa members who work at Planned Parenthood North Central States (PPNCS) ratified their historic first tentative agreement (TA) with 84% support, with voting ending Wednesday evening. The first contract for the 430 workers came after the group voted to form their union in 2022 and spent 37 bargaining sessions working to reach the deal. The 3-year agreement immediately goes into effect, retroactive to January 1.
Nicole Anschutz, a triage nurse at PPNCS and bargaining team member with SEIU Healthcare MN & IA, shared her excitement at seeing the group’s first union contract ratified by members:
"I am so proud of the amazing work done by PPNCS staff every day supporting our patients and communities, providing reproductive healthcare. As a bargaining team member for the final stretch of our negotiations, I saw firsthand how much work went into getting this contract, and I'm thankful to our membership for ratifying this historic agreement. We won wage increases for everyone (and bigger ones for those currently making the least), improvements in healthcare affordability, workplace protections, commitments to joint work on racial equity inside our organization, and so much more. We didn't win everything we need, and our fight will continue for both abortion rights and worker rights, but today we celebrate that our over 440 amazing members now have all the protections and progress that come with the ratification of our first union contract!"
The contract covers workers who do jobs such as reproductive healthcare, comprehensive sexual health education, political advocacy and so many more invaluable roles helping people across the Midwest access safe abortions and other essential health services.
Highlights for a first contract include:
- 15-year wage scale for all union jobs with a guaranteed minimum wage increase of 4.5% in the first year, 11.75% total over three years, and with the lowest-paid employees receiving a 17% wage increase in the first year of the agreement.
- Improvements in healthcare affordability for all members, and greater improvements for members with children and families
- Robust language around harassment, equity and racial justice - including a labor-management committee to facilitate ongoing dialogue for the duration of the contract
- Grievance and arbitration procedure as well as language for progressive discipline (and just cause for terminations)
