Every day, people go to work at Planned Parenthood because they believe deeply in the cause of reproductive health care for all. As Planned Parenthood’s mantra reads, clinic staff provide care “No Matter What.” But the question of how well Planned Parenthood’s staff members are taken care of, no matter what, is far from irrelevant in the “Fight for 15” age.
Planned Parenthood is not only the nation’s foremost leader in top-notch reproductive health care for women, but it acts, in more ways than one, as an especially vital resource for low-income families. This reality is especially true for those who work to make a living inside many of the 700 plus Planned Parenthood clinics. Many of the staff members are women of color, who in both rural and urban locales, take jobs at clinics not only for a stable income, but because they have benefited from Planned Parenthood’s services in the past and see both purpose and pride in giving back.
Just like their patients, those who work for the organization continuously rely on the health care provider because they have little financial means and few, if any, nearby sexual health providers other than Planned Parenthood.
Unlike many health care professions, working at Planned Parenthood does not pay well for entry level clinic staff. In American cities like Denver and Boulder, where rent prices are skyrocketing at historic rates, starting wages for Planned Parenthood staff have remained around $11 per hour for years.
Like many women and men in my family, I am a longtime volunteer for the organization, as well as a here-and-there contributor. I have friends who work inside the clinic in my community of Durango.
Women who’ve worked for our local clinic for decades have barely seen a raise in the past 10 years. Meanwhile, those at the top of the organization live very comfortably with six-figure salaries. Planned Parenthood has been enjoying a financial surplus for years, yet wages do not reflect this.
So why do staff stay? And in staying, why don’t they demand better pay? The answer to both questions is simple: Clinic staff members understand the delicate nature of criticizing the nonprofit in an era where half our nation’s elected representatives are relentlessly perusing any excuse to shut it down.
As research continues to unveil, working at Planned Parenthood too often means facing harassment, stalking, intimidation and violence from anti-abortion terrorists and terrorist groups. Health care staff at Planned Parenthood believe in the moral missions of their vital work, and should not be taken advantage of by well-paid decision makers at the top of the organization any longer. They put their safety, and very lives, at risk every day. A progressive non-profit that tweets its support for the #FightFor15 should practice what it preaches. Planned Parenthood staff deserve a real, livable wage of $15 an hour. Anything less is profoundly unjust.
Sandra Elizabeth is a retired public employee living in Durango with her husband and three dogs. Reach her at SandraElizabeth78742@gmail.com.
