Ask a Union Organizer: How can we organize when we're worried our clinic may close?

Dear Ask a Union Organizer, 

How can we negotiate for more when we are worried our clinic doesn’t have the money? We don’t want our unionization to make it harder for people to get the health care they need.

— Worried Our Clinic will Close

Dear Worried Our Clinic Will Close,

These days, every abortion clinic worker is worried about their future as the fate of abortion access is more and more uncertain. . We don’t want our clinics to close. We are doing everything we can  to keep our jobs, keep our clients healthy, and keep our pro-choice community strong. Sometimes, this can make us feel selfish or unreasonable to ask our struggling clinic for living wages, paid leave, full health benefits, and more.

Look, I know how difficult fundraising is, and it’s hard to meet the clinic’s bottom line when insurance companies reimburse late and patients already have a hard time accessing care. We live in unprecedented times of restrictive state policies, undue costs associated with managing violent protesters, and a lack of interest in funding for general operations by foundations. Attacks are flying in from every direction and the last thing we want to be is a trojan horse.

But, money isn’t the only thing you can organize for. In fact, there’s a lot you can ask for in a union contract that won’t cost the clinic a penny: a voting seat on the board for a staff member; better boundaries for off-the-clock and working hours; stronger non-discrimination policies; a formal grievance procedure.

When I talk with workers, of course they care about a raise, but it’s rarely the only issue at work. Basic respect costs exactly $0.

If your clinic claims inability to pay a thriving wage as a reason they cannot agree to your proposed collective bargaining agreement, your union and a few employees on the bargaining committee will get a chance to look at the books. Once you crack open an organization’s war chest, you might be surprised by how deep it is. 

If they honestly cannot pay what you have asked for, the employees will get a chance to change their demands and have a different conversation. It’s all a normal part of the unionization process. You won’t cause your clinic to close. Your union representative doesn’t want that either, because that means no jobs for anyone, and they won’t let it happen.

Remember: if your clinic is strapped for cash they can also make a choice to forgo the legal costs associated with fighting your union, and offer you recognition and ratification of a collective bargaining agreement that meets your demands without any days in court and with the least amount of staff hours spent in bargaining sessions. 

If they have enough money to fight your union, they have enough money to recognize your union.

Of course, if you’re with Planned Parenthood or another larger reproductive rights organization, they might  have a lawyer on the board or on retainer. This lawyer-board-member may provide free legal counsel, or advise the organization’s leadership on next steps, so find out who this person is. Do some research on this person and find out their union politics. How can you influence them to discourage your clinic’s leadership from fighting the unionization process?

To this end, I want to tell you a secret: your employer isn’t worried about how much YOU will cost them if you unionize; they’re worried about the fees they’ll have to pay into the union. Once you’re unionized your employer will be required to pay the union for each hour you work. It can increase payroll costs more than any raise you might negotiate for. But before you consider if your organization can afford these union fees, ask yourself if they can afford NOT to participate in the labor movement.

The union collects dues and employer fees to ensure you have adequate representation, as well as fund political efforts, like door knocking, lobbying, and community organizing to support policies and politicians that advance the agenda of working class people -- the people our clinics stay open to serve. 

Remind yourself, your employer, and the stakeholders at your clinic that these union fees are simply a strategic pooling of resources to advance our shared agenda with the labor movement. It may be difficult for your executive director to re-budget your organization, but I also believe there are a lot of amazing leaders in our movement who could find a way to make it work.