Planned Parenthood North Central States Union Ratifies First Contract
For Immediate Release: Jan. 18, 2024
New contract increases pay, locks in benefits, and invests in staff
St. Paul, Minnesota - Planned Parenthood North Central States (PPNCS) unionized staff voted to ratify their first contract this week with 84% of votes cast in support according to SEIU. The three-year contract will go into effect immediately for the over 400 unionized PPNCS staff.
The ratified contract includes:
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Increasing pay for all union members over the next three years by at least 14.75%.
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Increasing the minimum wage to $19/hour for all roles.
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Locking in benefits including health care, dental, vision, 403B contributions, paid parental leave, short-term and long-term disability, and paid time off, while reducing the out-of-pocket costs for medical plan premiums.
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Expanding or improving benefits including bereavement leave, volunteer time off, earned extended leave, and protected time for completing immigration and work authorization processes for employees and their families.
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Professional development and continued education funding for each employee’s continued growth.
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Further clarity and stability in job duties, work hours, and schedules.
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Establishing a subcommittee for greater accountability from every member of the organization to foster a just and learning organization striving for equity and inclusion.
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And the creation of a committee between employees and management so that they can discuss issues covered under the contract.
The finalized contract comes after nearly 15 months of negotiations between bargaining teams at Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Healthcare Minnesota and Iowa and Planned Parenthood North Central States. The national average for union contract negotiations is 15-18 months.
Ruth Richardson, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood North Central States:
“I’m grateful for the opportunity to invest in the dedicated people who make Planned Parenthood possible. The ratification of our first union contract is yet another example of how our staff is committed to advancing and protecting sexual and reproductive health care for all—both inside our organization and within the community. This contract provides stability as we face rising costs for providing care and looming threats from courts and legislatures around the region. It will enrich the work environment at Planned Parenthood and lead to an even better standard of high-quality care for our patients.”
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Planned Parenthood North Central States and its subsidiary organizations provide, promote, and protect reproductive and sexual health through high quality care, education and advocacy. A member of America’s most trusted reproductive health care provider, our affiliate is proud to support and operate 25 health centers across our five-state region (Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota). Each year, we provide health care to nearly 100,000 people and health education to more than 50,000 people in our region.