On Dec. 16, medical assistants at the Planned Parenthood health care facility in Grand Rapids, Mich., joined UFCW Local 951. This is the third unit of Planned Parenthood workers to join UFCW Local 951, which also represents Planned Parenthood workers in Lansing and Kalamazoo.
The seven medical assistants at the Grand Rapids facility are versatile health care professionals who handle both clinical and administrative tasks, bridging patient care and office operations. They joined our union out of concerns about hostile mistreatment from management, favoritism, and unjust discipline, and wanted a voice in their workplace. One of the medical assistants heard about how joining UFCW Local 951 drastically improved working conditions from one of the workers at the Planned Parenthood facility in Kalamazoo, which inspired her to learn more about forming a union with UFCW Local 951.
The organizing campaign included talking to the workers about their workplace concerns, and empowering and educating them about the benefits of forming a union. The workers were engaged with the local throughout the campaign and reported back during check-ins about the anti-union behavior from their managers, which solidified their reasoning for joining our union.
These new members are now covered by the universal collective bargaining agreement that UFCW Local 951 already has in place with Planned Parenthood of Michigan.
“I like the new contract because it means we have someone on our side to ensure everyone is treated fairly, we get the rights we deserve, and that things are being done by the book,” said Jada Roseburgh, a medical assistant at Planned Parenthood in Grand Rapids.