We are union workers of the reproductive health, rights and justice movement. Join us to build and leverage worker power in our fight reproworkers
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To our union comrades: we are workers of the reproductive health, rights, and justice movement. This Labor Day, we invite you to join us in bringing the full might of worker power to our fight. Read about our priorities here, and come organize with us:
“They act like how you live your life or your gender identity is a threat to the person on the assembly line next to you...They talk about who you love, who you marry, which bathroom you use so they don’t have to talk about who you work for, where the profits go and who benefits”
"It's an old trick the billionaires play. Time and time again the wealthy divide the masses over single issues, and the rich walk away with all the loot." —
#UAW
President Shawn Fain
#StandUpUAW
#Solidarity
One of the beautiful things about organized labor is that non-profit bosses can’t do their usual dance of using social justice language to obfuscate their bullshit. The song goes “which side are you on?” because a union fight is incredibly straightforward. We side with workers ✊
i actually think the backlash drew got is what made the amptp realize they needed to make a deal asap cuz they saw they couldn’t get away with some shows crossing the line like last time
Don’t call the cops on your patients. Don’t call the cops if you think your pregnant patient is using drugs. Don’t call the cops if the patient having a miscarriage tells you they ordered some pills online. Don’t call the cops on your patients.
Today I heard about a woman who was profoundly suicidal and drove herself to the ER entranceway. Nurses perceived her to be impaired and called the cops to arrest her on a DUI.
Nursing please divorce from the cops.
She was arrested and charged before Roe was overturned. Prosecution and policing is a local issue with tons of discrete actors who get to pick and choose which cases to pursue. There’s no magic combination of words in law that protects us from them, abolition is the only solution
There are no “haven” states. Just because abortion is legal to a point in your state does not mean people can actually get appointments in a timely manner, and abortion is a time-sensitive thing. We are all in this together, solidarity is all we have
Keep tweeting at me about how accessible abortion is in Michigan, y’all, really. Did you know that most Planned Parenthood locations in the state only provide care to 11 weeks? That there are no procedural abortion services north of Saginaw, so that patients from the northern…
If this question could in any way lead to my being disciplined or terminated, or affect my working conditions, I respectfully request that my union rep or steward be present. Without representation, I choose not to answer questions, besties
We are grateful to the people who refused to allow our movement’s leadership to carry on as usual and let this administration use us as props when they are committing genocide in Gaza. Joe Biden should not know a moment’s peace anywhere he goes, ESPECIALLY not in a repro space
there’s a woman police officer on women’s hour arguing that healthcare workers *should* report patients who they suspect of having self-managed abortions to the police — bc the police will provide “safeguarding” and “support”. Classic cop thinking! Aaaaahh
You know what is not a “collective” in any sense of the word? A hierarchical structure where the boss gets to dictate the terms and conditions of your employment. You know what is actually a “collective” though? A union. Hence that term “collective bargaining”
It has never been clearer that all of repro needs to unionize than it has been today watching an RJ org lay off their entire staff while the rest of the movement is promoting a chatbot that does not work instead of paying actual human beings what they’re worth
Solidarity FOREVER with
@DCAbortionFund
staff who refused to be silenced. Our work is not about helping executives get to do their “dream job.” The workers — the people who actually support abortion seekers every day — are who should determine our organizations’ values, not execs
Abortion patients and workers are real people trying to live our lives, not pawns to help Democrats goose electoral turnout. People in the South deserves abortion access and they deserve it right now
A 6-week abortion ban is unacceptable. A 15-week abortion ban is unacceptable. A 24-week abortion ban is unacceptable. We deserve abortions, when we want them, where we live, for free. And we’re going to get them someday.
"At least nine women said they were sexually assaulted or raped while pregnant on Rikers Island, including one who said a doctor groped her breasts and prodded her so intensely during a gynecological exam that her cervix ruptured."
The thing you should have a hard time getting out of your mouth because it’s such a disgusting thing to say is calling someone “an illegal,” not the word “abortion”
"We've had two team members, that I know of, that died on the job. Did the line stop?"
"No."
"The line kept moving."
Solidarity with Hyundai workers in Alabama! Repro and labor will never give up on organizing in the South!
BREAKING: Hyundai workers in Alabama are attempting to form the company’s first U.S. union.
They're some of the lowest-paid auto workers, making nearly $10/hr less than union workers.
Now, more than 1,000 have signed union authorization cards. That's over 30% of their plant.
With clinic workers’ jobs under attack, Repro Workers are proud to announce that we’re celebrating May Day by launching our fundraiser to support the
@ReproJobs
Repro Worker Aid Fund! In the true union spirit of solidarity, we’ve got repro workers’ backs!
Solidarity with
@PPFAUnionDC
and
@PPFAUnionNYC
today as
@PPFA
proceeds with mass layoffs, without explaining why it is staff who must bear the brunt of this restructuring. Repro workers— including the affiliate workers who are not being consulted on what they need — are watching
“In the end, her daughter came early, at 33 weeks. Labor was painful, the baby was delivered breech and she needed an epidural. "Some of her brain was not fully developed – when she came out, I was just like, 'Oh my God.' I was just numb."”
It is unconscionable that repro is still largely silent about Gaza. Hospitals, healthcare centers, and the only repro clinic have been targeted by the Israeli military. We would all condemn a bombing aimed at one of us, but when it's Palestinian healthcare workers we're silent?
BREAKING: Oakland public school teachers and staff are on strike.
@OaklandEA
, the union of nearly 3,000 teachers, counselors, social workers, nurses, and substitutes is fighting for smaller class sizes, counselors at every school, and pay equity with other California teachers.
*everything repro workers and people who have had abortions warned Democrats would happen, that they mostly ignored us about at best, when not scolding us for “alienating moderates”
Palestinian liberation is a reproductive justice issue. Organized labor should be standing with Palestinian workers. Repro and labor are two very important, powerful constituencies in the Democratic Party and we must use that power to do everything we can to halt this genocide🇵🇸
Solidarity with abortion workers in Florida, and comrades all around the country working to help Florida patients following yet another horrifying decision. Fuck the US Supreme Court and fuck a state Supreme Court, we’ve got us and we will never stop helping people have abortions
For decades, anti-abortion politicians have used the Hyde Amendment to deny folks enrolled in Medicaid from using their health insurance to cover abortion. It’s beyond time to
#BeBoldEndHyde
as we work toward
#AbortionJustice
. Learn more:
We are just as proud to stand in solidarity with our comrades in Gaza as we are with our comrades in Texas and Tennessee. You can read about what repro workers in Gaza are experiencing in their own words. We stand with them, and they say ceasefire now
This is obviously not what the Israel-Palestine conflict is about but for the record, abortion is illegal in Gaza and the PA-controlled West Bank — Palestinian opinion is very culturally conservative by western standards or relative to Israel.
Abortion is also illegal in many US states, what exactly is your point here, that the people who live somewhere with an abortion ban deserve to be bombed and starved to death? That the Palestinian Family Planning and Protection Association deserved to have their clinic destroyed?
This is obviously not what the Israel-Palestine conflict is about but for the record, abortion is illegal in Gaza and the PA-controlled West Bank — Palestinian opinion is very culturally conservative by western standards or relative to Israel.
Solidarity with abortion workers and seekers in Arizona preparing for yet another heinous ban to take effect. We don’t need you to put everything you have solely into a presidential election and ballot initiatives in November, we need you NOW
Happy Labor Day to all the medical providers, receptionists, counselors, hotline workers, admins, financial planners, cleaning staff, accountants, fundraisers, legal workers, comms and education specialists, and everyone else who makes abortions happen! Our movement runs on LABOR
Absolutely shameful of
@alexismcgill
and
@PPFA
leadership to fail to call for an end to the bombing of their own colleagues.
@ippf
has been calling for a ceasefire for almost two months. Their only clinic in Gaza was bombed by the IOF.
Every repro leader continuing to not only refuse to try, but to actively block our movement from using our enormous leverage with the Biden administration to call for an end to the genocide in Gaza, is a coward and a disgrace. Do not ever talk about RJ again
#AllEyesOnRafah
It continues to be despicable that the majority of our so-called "leaders" are at best silent, if not actively cheerleading this genocidal violence. If this is not reproductive injustice, what is? Repro workers say ceasefire now, end the occupation!
Planned Parenthood’s work has never been more critical. To meet the rising challenges we recently announced plans for a new federation-wide strategy and restructuring.
How can you take action right now to ensure we have more control of our bodies, lives, & futures? Send a message to your members of Congress telling them to support the
#AbortionJustice
Act 🖊️
We would simply not be posting about health insurance if we were directly responsible for a bunch of people losing their health insurance, because we laid them all off. Then again we would never lay off everyone but management, because that’s disgusting!
However we feel about abortion, politicians shouldn’t be allowed to deny someone’s coverage for it just because they’re working to make ends meet – And the majority of folks agree. 👇
A lot of people have spoken about Brittany, please listen to her speak for herself. Shame on the nurse who called the police and shame on the hospital ethics board that sat around debating while she could have died. Later abortions bans cause harm, ALL abortion bans cause harm!
Brittany Watts, the Ohio woman charged with a felony crime after suffering a miscarriage at 21 weeks, speaks out for the first time to tell her story and educate the public so her tragedy doesn’t repeat itself with anyone else.
Has your union secured benefits for abortion in your collective bargaining agreement? Or committed to fighting for abortion rights? Commit to organizing with us AND share the language with us here for other workers to build on!
Repro organizers have never stopped fighting in the south, no matter how many of you abandon them they will keep winning. Imagine what they could get done if you showed up
Breaking: San Antonio City Council approves $3.7 billion budget for 2024 in a 10-0-1 vote.
Councilman Whyte abstained from voting over inclusion of the $500K reproductive justice fund.
The budget takes effect October 1.
A man named Lashawn Thompson was eaten alive by bed bugs in Fulton County jail’s psychiatric wing. Not metaphorically like when you say “these mosquitoes are eating me alive,” as in they killed him via that severe of neglect
Since we are all thinking about carceral conditions in Georgia today, here’s breakfast, lunch and dinner from a state prison there. In case you were wondering what incarceration is like for other people.
An extreme abortion ban has turned Idaho’s existing physician shortage into a crisis. By threatening the ob-gyn workforce, abortion bans slash patients’ access to the full range of ob-gyn care. Learn more about how these laws harm ob-gyns and patients:
“An employer that knows the frustration of a patient who doesn’t have paid time off can turn around and fail to notice that their own employees run out of sick days before they’re halfway through the year.” -
@ppwpunion
member
@clozillee
🔥✊
olivia has launched ‘fund 4 good’, a global initiative committed to building an equitable and just future for all women, girls and people seeking reproductive health freedom.
a portion of the proceeds from all
#GUTSWorldTour
ticket sales will go towards the
#Fund4Good
🤍
“As a health worker and a Palestinian woman, ever since Saturday morning I have been living in constant fear for the safety and livelihood of my family. At the same time I am not able to leave behind my commitment to providing women with health services”
“Repro workers are exhausted. ‘Burnout’ isn’t a strong enough word. They’re carrying so much…And what are they getting in return? Union busting, layoffs, and poverty wages”
@garnethenderson
Time for bosses to stop sabotaging their own stated goals
Tens of thousands of garment workers in Bangladesh who make products for brands like Zara, H&M and GAP are on strike.
Their minimum wage is $75 a month, and they're demanding it rise to $208. The bosses are only offering $90.
They've shut down over 300 factories so far.
Our Repro Worker Aid Fund is open and accepting applications. If you're a repro worker who has recently lost their job or been laid off we know every bit of support is helpful. We’ve got your back as best we can:
We’re not management so we’re not exactly sure how to translate whatever this is, but as abortion workers:
we demand abortions whenever we want them, for whatever reason we want them, for free. And Joe Biden can go fuck himself if he thinks we care about his opinion.
“Abortion on demand” is right-wing language that reinforces stigma and spreads misinformation. Abortion is health care. The only thing we demand is full equality.
Full stop.
🚨 Planned Parenthood supporters, union members, and former employees: sign the petition, show management that trash statement did not speak for us, and urge
@PPFA
to call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. PPFA and affiliate folks are all welcome!
Congratulations to the workers at Partners Clinic on building their union (and hey look voluntary recognition is possible)! And we can’t wait until we get to celebrate another indie union successfully bargaining a strong contract, now for workers who provide all trimester care!✊
Thank you to
@AbortionStories
,
@ARC_Southeast
,
@BBFundTX
, and the other organizations speaking out in solidarity with Gazans. We see that it is the smallest organizations with the most to lose who are being brave, while large organizations with well-paid executives are silent
The ongoing genocide of Palestinians in Gaza is inhumane and antithetical to reproductive justice. We Testify demands the immediate ceasefire and reinvestment of those funds into humanitarian aid.
If you are management at a non-union non-profit somewhere and you think your staff aren’t already at least exploring unionization, if not already signing cards, lmao best of luck to you
If you are a reporter asking Laphonza Butler about her history with labor, ask about: 1.) Uber and AirBnb, and 2.) why her org that exists to do electoral work around abortion, laid off workers, including members of the union, in the runup to a bunch of elections about abortion?
one day we will crowd the people who worked for Uber (not drivers but the financiers, advisers, econs, lobbyists, etc) and other engines for labor exploitation out of public life. We need to bring back ostracizing and we need to bring it back now
As a reminder, hundreds of repro workers have been calling for a ceasefire. The handful of people making hundreds of thousands of dollars a year to bust our unions and the wealthy people who sit on our boards as PR for capitalist plunder don't speak for us
Numerous repro orgs have now restructured to lay off staff in the midst of a catastrophic health crisis. Our management class is clearly composed of people who are incompetent at best, if not maliciously anti-worker. You can help us support workers here
Solidarity forever with
@ARC_Southeast
for this October letter, and the organizations that signed on (largely abortion funds and other grassroots organizers):
The over 600 repro workers who have demanded a ceasefire:
And
@ifwhenhow
Every time a court decision comes down, it doesn't matter when it takes effect, workers and volunteers begin hearing from confused patients immediately. The fallout even when the ban doesn't take effect is huge. And any day a ban is in effect is a moral and public health disaster
Truly bizarre to see so many repro orgs celebrate the fact that an abortion-related measure will be on the ballot in Florida without acknowledging that a six-week ban will go into effect there in 30 days. Both rulings were made by the FL Supreme Court today
While we have closed our gofundme for the larger worker aid fund, there is a specific fundraiser to support Black employees laid off from All Above All here
If so-called “crisis pregnancy centers” wanted to help people who want to have children, they would just give them what they needed, they wouldn’t force them to “earn” diapers via Bible Study
Abortion pills have turned every restroom into an abortion facility.
Women are sent home with these pills and then pass their baby at home or in public. People are walking into bathrooms and seeing body parts of aborted babies. It’s grotesque
We did not sign up for this America
(For those wondering: they fired every staff member, effective today, except for the executive roles, an executive assistant, and a fellow they were contractually obligated to keep on through the length of their agreement)
At Planned Parenthood Keystone, we are ready to make a change and take a stand! We are so excited to announce to that we are forming a union with
@opeiulocal32
.
#WeArePPKey
Solidarity forever with comrades facing retaliation for speaking out about genocide in Palestine. When our repro comrades in Gaza are calling for a ceasefire, when people are giving birth in a war zone, when children are being slaughtered, it’s an RJ issue. Silence is cowardice
Solidarity with our fellow repro workers under attack by the IOF and settlers in Gaza and the West Back, and solidarity with our fellow repro workers here speaking up to demand a ceasefire now and an end to the occupation, even in the face of retaliation. Workers have the power!
For
@Jezebel
: About 445 Planned Parenthood employees signed a letter criticizing PPFA for failing to call for a ceasefire in a recent statement on Gaza that stoked significant backlash in the repro justice community. I talked to 8 employees who signed it:
Everyone who shouted down these protesters should be ashamed of themselves. How dare you use our work to justify the ongoing reproductive injustices and genocide in Palestine?
In the first mins of Pres. Biden’s remarks, EIGHT separate pro-Palestine protestors have disrupted his speech. Crowd has broken into chants of “four more years” each time.
“They feel deeply” Biden says, without addressing them directly. Later quips “this could go on for awhile”
"When the boss is gone for a day, the work keeps flowing. When the worker is gone a day, the flow falls apart. And when the only employee retention is from the executive level, you can bet there's no flow at all...the work needs to keep flowing"
EVERY SINGLE WORD OF THIS LETTER!
"Paige said she used the jail’s electronic messaging system to send a medical request for an appointment to get an abortion. But the response she got back was so baffling, she said, she almost had to laugh. It consisted of a sad-face emoticon, :("
Thank you to
@ReproJobs
for leading this effort. Our management may be failing to meet this moment, but repro workers can still demand better. Sign here 🇵🇸
We are calling for a ceasefire, an end to the US-funding of the genocide, the release of all hostages, an end to the occupation and for Palestinians to return to their homes, and an end to the suppression of repro workers’ voices for Palestine.
Join us.
"Anti-Blackness and anti-worker dynamics are pervasive in our movements...We can’t give lip service to social justice values; we have to embody them in our lives, in our workplaces and most importantly when we’re asked to lean into conflict and accountability."
Our movements are only as strong as our relationships and strong relationships require trust, transparency and accountability. Avow Texas cannot continue a partnership where these values are not honored. Solidarity with
@AllAboveAll
laid off workers.
You know how lots of workplaces have a person bosses say “does everything” or “is really in charge?” — usually a receptionist or admin assistant, likely a woman, and often a woman of color — who does not get paid like they do everything? That’s a person who can lead a union drive
We are beyond moved by the generosity of our comrades at
@ChiAbortionFund
! It has been heartbreaking to watch a resource our comrades
@ReproJobs
created to support people impacted by abortion bans also become so necessary due to repro management choices
We will be making a donation in the name of All Above All* staff members to this
@ReproJobs
aid fund for repro workers who have been laid off and encourage folks to do the same.
Weeks after staffers wrote an anonymous post detailing anti-Blackness in the org,
@AllAboveAll
announced a "restructuring" today. Here's the official press release, but every staffer has been laid off who's not on the executive team or a fellow.
Again: we need help NOW. People cannot wait until November, or 2025, to have the abortion they need today. You donated to abortion funds after Dobbs, we know you know how to find them! It’s here, remember?
Abortion funds have been struggling to keep up with demand for out-of-state travel. With Florida's 6-week ban set to take effect on May 1, they're warning that they need more donations or they'll have to turn people away
Miscarriage is a common experience. Miscarrying into a toilet is a common experience. You have not done anything wrong if you have had this happen, including by reacting however you reacted in the moment. It’s overwhelming. People who say what you “should have” done are wrong.
Wait, did Kamala visit the same Planned Parenthood that fired two union leaders including Grace and disciplined the entire bargaining team-- mostly Black folk I may add? That would be so like this administration to highlight abortion by centering an anti-worker, anti-union PP.
To
@allaboveall
: Please remove us from your "partner orgs" list. We strongly condemn your recent move to fire all non-executive staff and the manner in which it was carried out, your continued denial of the anti-Black experiences of your employees, and...
People who have abandoned us, and our patients, since Roe was overturned, are lecturing us about how to help people get abortions. As if we don't do that every day both in and outside of our jobs. Some of us actually think and care about this stuff outside of federal elections!
Responses to this story—"abortion is illegal in gaza😡" "so you support Trump?😡"—are stunningly removed from reality. Aiding Israel=aiding horrific reproductive violence in Gaza—of course that matters to repro groups that actually care abt repro justice, not just as a talking pt