Central Coast Planned Parenthood strike canceled after union deal reached
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Planned Parenthood and labor union reached a tentative deal, avoiding a strike
- Healthcare workers cited understaffing, turnover and care concerns in protest
- Agreement aims to improve staff retention and maintain patient care services
A San Luis Obispo Planned Parenthood worker strike was avoided this week after successful negotiations between the organization and a labor union.
Healthcare workers at six Planned Parenthood locations across the Central Coast had planned to go on strike for two days on Tuesday and Wednesday to protest unfair labor practices.
The strike was announced in a news release by the Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West union in response to what it called “bad faith bargaining” by Planned Parenthood management and “a refusal to take action to resolve issues of understaffing, high turnover and patient care concerns.”
“At a time when Planned Parenthood workers are facing political attacks from Congress and need their employer’s support more than ever, front-line caregivers have introduced multiple proposals aimed at improving staff retention, patient safety and overall working conditions,” the release said. “However, executives continue to dismiss their concerns and engage in unfair labor practices.”
Front-line workers at clinics in San Luis Obispo, Santa Maria, Santa Barbara, Thousand Oaks, Ventura and Oxnard had planned to participate if progress was not made in negotiations between Planned Parenthood executives and employees by Tuesday, the release said.
On Monday — just in time to avoid the strike — they reached a tentative agreement that supports Planned Parenthood’s clinical staff while positioning the organization to face the challenges ahead, the negotiating parties said in a joint statement to The Tribune.
“As we’ve moved through the bargaining process, both sides have been invested in supporting the staff and treating them with dignity and respect. This tentative agreement builds on (Planned Parenthood California Central Coast)’s culture of care and compassion and will enable the organization to continue to deliver excellent, high-quality care for some of California’s most vulnerable patients,” the labor union and Planned Parenthood said in the joint statement.
The next step is for unionized employees to vote to ratify the contract in the coming weeks.
