Unionized Planned Parenthood workers approve new contract
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Planned Parenthood healthcare workers in San Diego County are seeking higher wages and better working conditions through a new union contract.
Why it matters: California clinics have seen more out-of-state abortion patients since the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022, which workers say has contributed to employee burnout and high turnover that has affected the quality of care.
Driving the news: Hundreds of unionized Planned Parenthood workers in San Diego, Imperial and Riverside counties last week voted to approve a new contract that would apply to nurses, medical assistants, patient advocates and other clinic staff.
- The agreement would raise wages by 15% over three years, increase the minimum wage to $23 per hour and improve benefits, per the union.
- It's the first union contract for any Planned Parenthood workers in California, the group says.
Flashback: Local employees last year joined SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West to get higher pay, an improved time-off policy and safer working conditions.
State of play: California has reinforced abortion rights and expanded access to reproductive care since the Dobbs decision struck down abortion in some other states, leading to an influx of patients.
- Out-of-state abortion patients have more than doubled in California in recent years — from 2,270 in 2020 to 7,060 in 2023 — per new data estimates from The Guttmacher Institute.
- Those patients made up 4% of all abortions in California in 2023, compared to 1% in 2020.
The big picture: Tens of thousands of people last year traveled to other states for abortions, as state-level bans severely curbed access across the country.
- Such travel for an abortion or to obtain pills skyrocketed across the nation from 2020 to 2023.
The bottom line: As California has become a safe haven for patients post-Roe, this union contract enables Planned Parenthood workers to provide additional care in a sustainable way, according to local clinician Libby Kusiak.
What's next: The Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest Board of Directors is expected to formally approve the contract July 19, per the union.