Mass. Planned Parenthood CEO urges employees not to join union
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The Planned Parenthood building in Worcester.
The CEO of Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts, Jennifer Childs-Roshak, sent a letter to all staff members on June 1, encouraging employees to vote no in an upcoming union election to see if employees will be represented by Local 1199 of the Service Employees International Union, also known as United Healthcare Workers East.
The letter, which was posted on Twitter by PPLM United, the currently unrecognized union for Planned Parenthood workers in the state, said, “The question of union representation belongs to employees,” but also discourages employees from voting to join, saying it will affect the organization’s ability to be flexible to meet needs of patients.
“If the union wins the election, instead of working directly with employees on mission-critical issues that impact employment terms and conditions, we will have to go through a third-party intermediary, 1199SEIU,” wrote Childs-Roshak to employees. “A union affects not just those who support it, but all employees in the bargaining unit.”
PPLM United also posted a letter in response, stating their commitment to voting to recognize the union.
“We firmly believe our motto of ‘Care. No matter what’ should apply to both patients and staff alike,” the response said. “We deserve to make an informed decision on our own.”
The comments by Childs-Roshak also drew criticism from Tim Foley, the executive vice president of 1199SEIU.
“Recently, the anti-union comments made by Dr. Jennifer Childs-Roshak … to her employees are contradictory to previous public statements about supporting the choices of her employees,” said Foley in a press release statement. “Regardless, 1199SEIU wants to reinforce that all workers deserve the right to make an informed decision on their own about whether to form a union, free from intimidation and in a non-coercive environment.”
Workers at Planned Parenthood locations across the state, including in Worcester and Marlborough, announced their intention to unionize in May, saying the leaked U.S. Supreme Court draft overturning Roe v. Wade would lead to an increase in workload for women fleeing states outlawing abortion.
Childs-Roshak has served as CEO of Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts since 2015, but has previously held positions in several prominent Central Massachusetts locations. She served as medical director of quality at Milford Regional Medical Center, as well as vice president of medical services at Family Health Center in Worcester.
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