'It's really exciting:' Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin workers to vote in union election next week

 

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- More than 100 Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin (PPWI) workers from clinics across the state are organizing a union, according to a release by the Wisconsin Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals (WFNHP). 

"Their initiative seeks to empower those at the forefront of patient care by providing them with a formal voice in shaping the conditions under which they work," the release continued.

The move could shift some health care dynamics in Wisconsin. 

On Wednesday, CBS 58's Ellie Nakamoto-White spoke with Emily Siegrist, a PPWI nurse practitioner of more than a decade, who said that shift would be a welcome change for many.

"I think [the union] is really important and to see it coming into Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin, I think, is really exciting," Siegrist said. "We don't get a lot of say of who we get to see, how we see them, and it really can cause some burnout for us."

Siegrist said that burnout is the opposite of what those who directly interact with and help patients should feel.

"To have a say in how their day-to-day work life looks like, I think is really important and is going to provide better quality of care than even now," Siegrist said. "We're really looking to provide and work collaboratively together with management on how our care looks like, because at the end of the day, it's really for our patients."

She added that most just want "a seat at the table" while they collectively work to further PPWI's long-term mission.

"We want to have a good work-life balance, so we could have retained ability and a sustainable outlook for this organization as a whole," Siegrist said. "You know, we've been around for 100 years. We want to be around 100 years more, and I think this is a very strong route to do it."

WFNHP officials said PPWI workers had asked the company to recognize the union based on majority support, but that they had instead chosen to file for an election. 

A hearing is planned next week in front of the National Labor Relations Board to determine the specifics of that election, after which health care workers will take a vote. 

An online petition in support of the workers and the union currently has more than 275 signatures. To view the petition, click here. 

PPWI sent CBS 58 this statement which reads in full:

"Planned Parenthood of WI is committed to providing compassionate, non-judgmental care and education. We work tirelessly to protect and advance the rights of the communities we serve to have access to the full scope of sexual and reproductive health, and to have the agency to make their own decisions. This value is no different when it comes to employees and their right to organize a union in their workplace."