On Oct. 7, workers at two Planned Parenthood health care facilities in Traverse City and Ann Arbor, Mich., joined UFCW Local 876. These organizing wins mark the third unit of Planned Parenthood workers to join UFCW Local 876 this year. Planned Parenthood workers in Livonia joined the local in July.
The workers at the two facilities, who are employed as medical assistants, joined our union because they were concerned about insufficient wages, workplace safety, and treatment from management. They also wanted to improve the training process to provide better service to their communities.
The unit in Traverse City is composed of three medical assistants and the unit in Ann Arbor is composed of five medical assistants. The campaign to organize these workers included in-person and Zoom meetings, as well as calls and texts about the benefits of joining our union. The workers were also in contact with their Planned Parenthood colleagues in Kalamazoo, who joined UFCW Local 951 in June and were the first Planned Parenthood unit in Michigan to unionize.
“We chose to organize with UFCW Local 876 because we needed a strong, experienced partner to help us secure fair wages, better benefits, and a voice at work,” said the workers in a joint statement. “With UFCW Local 876, we know we have the backing of a union that’s fought for workers’ rights for decades, and now we can ensure that our dedication to care is matched by respect on the job. We are thankful we have our union and the power that comes with it.”
