A track record of poor labor conditions, a deep dive into executive compensation, ghosted donors, an upcoming merger that could spell trouble for unionization efforts and a 20-year-old discrimination case that shows tactics similar to the ones described by our sources have been happening for a long time.

What we know after three months of

reporting on the local Planned Parenthood,

2

a track record of poor labor conditions,

a deep dive into executive compensation,

3

ghosted donors, an upcoming merger that

could spell trouble for unionization

4

efforts, and a 20-year-old discrimination

case that shows tactics similar to

5

the ones described by our sources

have been happening for a long time.

6

It is been more than three months

since we published our first story

7

about union busting and poor labor

conditions at Planned Parenthood of

8

Greater Washington and Northern Idaho.

9

Pp Winnie pp Guine leadership has

been staying quiet and laying low.

10

They've refused to comment publicly

on their union busting contract or

11

allegations of poor workplace conditions.

12

In the last three months range has heard

from more than a dozen current and former

13

staffers who we didn't originally talk to,

but who saw their experiences reflected

14

in the article and chose to reach out.

15

We've heard from employees involved in

the unionization efforts that interest in

16

unionization has gone up even among staff

who had previously been skeptical about

17

whether unionization was a good idea.

18

We've also heard from donors who said

that repeated calls to PP GU E leadership

19

seeking answers about union busting and

work conditions have gone unanswered.

20

Our ongoing reporting revealed a

long history of toxic workplace

21

allegations, including a discrimination

lawsuit against CEO Carl Eastland

22

won by a former staffer in 2012.

23

In depth analysis of Eastlands large

executive compensation package.

24

Frustration from some of PP Winnie's

biggest donors, one of whom just wrote

25

the organization out of her will.

26

And details about a recent merger

between PP Guine and the only other

27

non-unionized Planned Parenthood affiliate

in Washington, which could spell trouble

28

for the fledgling unionization efforts.

29

So without further ado, here's

nearly everything we've learned and

30

verified since December 19th, 2024.

31

PP Gwynne's Track record.

32

After our first article came out, we

received more than a dozen employee

33

stories aligned with what we'd written

and what we realized is that Eastland

34

and the Planned Parenthood affiliates

under his leadership has a questionable

35

track record dating back to 2004.

36

In the early two thousands, there

was another merger of regional

37

Planned Parenthood affiliate.

38

Bringing together Planned Parenthood of

Central Washington PPCW with clinics on

39

the east side of the state and in Idaho

to create what is now called PP guine.

40

Because of the merger and the new name

for the affiliate, we missed a bit of

41

Eastlands history with employee rights

violations in our original reporting.

42

A 2004 lawsuit from when he was the

Chief operating officer of PPCW.

43

According to reporting from the Tri-City

Herald, Shannon Sharp of Benton County

44

in Washington had been working for

Planned Parenthood as a regional

45

manager when she was diagnosed with

degenerative arthritis in her neck.

46

Rather than provide her the accommodations

she asked for, sharp said PPCW fired her.

47

Planned Parenthood said it

was for performance issues.

48

Sharpe's lawyer Mike Saunders told

the Harold that when Sharp was

49

fired, she had, quote, never received

a negative performance review.

50

A reprimand and the organization's

human resources department performed

51

no independent investigation.

52

In 2004, sharp originally filed her

lawsuit against both the organization

53

and Eastland, who was then the COO of

Planned Parenthood of Central Washington.

54

Kicking off an eight year legal

battle for what happened to her and

55

the subsequent eight year trial.

56

Planned Parenthood was ordered to

pay sharp $86,000 in back wages

57

and $20,000 for emotional distress.

58

Eastland was separately ordered to pay her

another $30,000 for emotional distress.

59

After waiting more than eight years

for her cause to be heard at trial, Ms.

60

Sharp deeply appreciates the jury's

hard work and careful attention

61

to the evidence in holding Planned

Parenthood and Carl Eastland accountable

62

for their discriminatory conduct.

63

Her lawyers Saunders told the Herald by

the time she received the jury verdict

64

in her favor in June of 2012, her

previous employer had merged with other

65

clinics to become part of PP Winny.

66

Eastland, became CEO

of the whole operation.

67

Neither Sharp nor Saunders could be

reached for comment for their part.

68

Planned Parenthood officials

69

In our view, we followed all laws and

professional protocols when we terminated

70

her employment due to performance.

71

However, recently a court agreed that the

former employee's claims had some merit.

72

While we believe we followed all

laws, we respect the court process

73

and we are grateful this legal

process has concluded so that we can

74

continue to focus on patient care.

75

Though PPCW had evolved to PP Guine.

76

Sources told us many of

the issues persisted.

77

We interviewed employees who had worked

78

they described many of the same problems,

overworked and underpaid employees.

79

A culture of silence and

pressure to conform to Easton's.

80

Will

81

Mark Quila, who worked at

82

In 2012, mark Quila was a

rising star at PP Guine.

83

He had been volunteering at the

84

offered a part-time organizer job.

85

Less than a year later in

86

Four years later, Quila received

another promotion to communications

87

manager for the entire organization,

becoming the voice of PP Quinny, and

88

working closely with CEO Eastland to

craft the organization's statements

89

and provide quotes to the media.

90

A few months into the job, one of

koala's duties was to handle the press.

91

After Planned Parenthood and Carl

Eastland were found liable for employment

92

discrimination in Sharp's case.

93

Just a few months later, Quila

was fired while on medical leave.

94

It was a full circle moment that Quila

described as bizarre and surreal.

95

I was very sick.

96

Quila said he gave his manager

as much notice as possible and

97

then went to a treatment facility

located outside of Spokane.

98

Under the Federal Medical Leave Act,

FMLA at the time, Quila was entitled

99

to a total of 12 weeks of unpaid leave.

100

At the end of the leave, kla was

supposed to be able to return to

101

his job or an equivalent position,

keep his benefits and to be free of

102

discrimination, retaliation, or firing.

103

ELA had planned to return to work at the

end of December on December 20th, just

104

10 days before he planned to return.

105

Koala's medical facility alerted him that

his treatment would need to stretch an

106

additional month to January 25th, 2013.

107

Okay.

108

Quila sent range a series of emails

confirming the HR officials at PP

109

Guine had received and processed

his request to extend his leave.

110

When Quila visited home for Christmas,

though he was shocked to find out that

111

his supervisor from PP Guine had called

Koala's then partner and warned him

112

that if Quila didn't come back to work

within the legally protected 12 week

113

window of the FMLA and instead came back

114

on the January 25th date that had

been discussed, he would be fired

115

even while he was at the treatment

facility on unpaid leave with no

116

access to his work, phone or laptop.

117

Quila was still completing

work for PP Quinny.

118

I have several emails from when I was

in treatment on leave, having to do

119

various things to manage the social

media ads, finances, Quila said.

120

Despite asking him to do unpaid

labor, there had been no similar

121

direct communication about the

leave extension being a problem.

122

So hearing from his partner

that his employment was now

123

in danger was a holiday shock.

124

Current Spokane City Council member

Paul Dillon, who worked at pp Winnie

125

as the vice President of Public Affairs

and who we talked to in our original

126

coverage, said that he had a similar

experience while he was on parental leave.

127

He was asked to do work tasks

by management at pp Winnie.

128

We emailed pp Winnie and called Eastland

to ask if the organization ever asked

129

employees who were on any kind of unpaid

leave, like FMLA to complete work tasks.

130

While they're on that leave, we

receive no response, but we'll

131

update this story if we do.

132

The next few weeks passed in a whirlwind

before Quila returned to treatment.

133

He sent an email on December 28th

telling PP Guine leadership that he

134

would not be medically cleared to

return to work in time for the deadline.

135

They'd given his partner, he asked

if the company would be willing to

136

approve his unpaid leave, passed

the legally required 12 weeks, and

137

terminate him instead on January 28th.

138

Just so Quila had time to get on

his partner's insurance and maintain

139

the continuity of his healthcare.

140

Quila also sent a suggestion for a

person who may be a good replacement

141

to fill his role and asked that

his personal belongings left on his

142

PP Guine desk not be thrown away.

143

He also wrote, I know it would typically

be my job to write the talking points

144

for his departure from PP Quinny.

145

If I can have any say in how this is

messaged internally, because I'm sure

146

there will be people with questions.

147

I just want people to know that I'm okay.

148

Two weeks later on January 14th

while back at the treatment

149

facility, Quila received two emails.

150

One notified him that if he wasn't

back to work by January 15th, the next

151

day, his employment with PP Gny would

end, but that they would still pay his

152

insurance until the end of January.

153

The other asked him to approve

talking points that would be relayed

154

to staff about his termination.

155

Mark's Leave has extended

beyond the protection of the

156

Federal Medical Leave Act.

157

At this time, we must open the

Communications Manager position to ensure

158

the continuation of PP g Winnie's work.

159

Mark has asked that we respect his

decision to focus on his health.

160

Mark has said he wishes the best

for staff and clients of pp.

161

We in turn wish him well and thank

him for the many contributions

162

he made to our affiliate.

163

I was devastated.

164

Quila told range.

165

I had given so much to the organization

and to feel like once I needed

166

something, I was thrown away.

167

Even after they fired him, even as

he was still struggling to recover

168

from his medical emergency leadership

at pp, Winnie kept reaching out,

169

asking him to do little tasks.

170

He did them without complaint.

171

It's embarrassing now to admit he

kept helping even after termination.

172

Quila says, but I was sick.

173

I was young.

174

Nearly a decade after his ordeal in

175

decided that he was ready to move on from

his heartbreaking experience at PP Quinny.

176

He had deleted his entire old

email account where he'd forwarded

177

correspondence from his managers at

PP Quinny over a decade ago, trying to

178

create a paper trail of his treatment

at the hands of the organization.

179

He'd taken a deep breath and moved

on with his weekend hoping to

180

never think about PP Guine again.

181

A few days later, a friend sent Quila

the range article on Union busting

182

at PP Quinny asking if he'd seen it.

183

Quila told us it was an oh shit moment.

184

He hopped on his computer to

recover his old Gmail account and

185

then posted on Facebook writing.

186

This is not something I talk about

publicly, but perhaps it's time.

187

It's been over a decade since I was fired

from PP Guine while on medical leave.

188

The way I was treated, the way

I was used and thrown away.

189

Still affects me to this day,

and I know I'm far from the

190

only one with a similar story.

191

Joy Peltier, who worked for

192

In 2012, joy Peltier was just

beginning her career at pp Guine.

193

Peltier began as a health educator and

through a series of internal promotions,

194

became the director of development,

then vice president of development,

195

then chief External Affairs Officer.

196

And finally, chief Strategy Officer CSO.

197

Though Pelt was much closer to the

top of the food chain than most of the

198

current and former employees from PP

Guine that we've interviewed, it didn't

199

protect her from many of the same issues

we've heard repeatedly from employees.

200

Lower down the organizational chart,

201

Pell D spoke of being overworked as

she managed five different departments

202

and a strategic initiative to stand up.

203

Ppe.

204

Winnie's 5 0 1 C four, which is

a nonprofit tax status designated

205

for groups who are allowed to

engage in political lobbying and

206

advocacy, , unlike their 5 0 1 C3 peers.

207

She said she had to fight for a pay

raise to bring her up to a commensurate

208

level with a male peer whose job

tasks she was being asked to take on.

209

In addition to her own, she also

felt like she was responsible for

210

protecting the employees in her

departments from, quote, the emotional

211

chaos, CEO, Carl Eastland exuded.

212

Once Pelt said, Eastland told her

part of her job was to quote, make

213

sure that the staff don't organize.

214

It made her uncomfortable,

but at that time, Eastlands

215

strategy was less aggressive.

216

She was told to just make Peepee

Guine such a great place to work.

217

That staff didn't want to unionize.

218

I felt weird about that, but then thought

if people feel good and happy and our

219

employment engagement scores are good and

it feels genuine that I'm okay with it.

220

Pelt said pp, Quinnie and Eastland did

not respond to a request for comment

221

on whether Eastland had ever told Pelt

or any other members of management

222

to keep staff from organizing.

223

For most of her time at pp,

Gwynnie Peltier said she had a

224

good relationship with Eastland.

225

I think he does have the heart for the

mission and he is trying to do right

226

by the organization and the patients.

227

She said he rescued PP Guine

out of financial turmoil

228

when he became the CEO pp.

229

Guine could have ended up getting

absorbed by Seattle if he didn't

230

turn it around financially.

231

I don't wanna paint him like he's

a 100% evil villain, but when

232

Eastly got stressed, she said he

changed his interpersonal skills

233

and his ability to lead in a healthy

way can be challenging for him.

234

Peltier said.

235

He gets overly emotional and can make

rash decisions about staffing if he's

236

feeling the stress soon after her

promotion to chief strategy officer,

237

the good relationship she had with

Eastland was shifting at the time.

238

Eastland was telling her that she was

his quote succession plan, that she'd be

239

hired as CEO when he retired, but he also

became more demanding and less supportive.

240

As soon as he gave me that raise,

he started treating me pretty badly.

241

Peltier told range saying it felt as

though, because I made such a high

242

salary, I couldn't leave, and he could

abuse me as much as he wanted to.

243

Peltier said she knew

what was coming next.

244

She'd seen it before.

245

Every person that had my job before

me, I watched him fire and push out,

246

she said, so as soon as his attitude

toward me changed, I knew I was next.

247

I knew it.

248

And so I made other plans

249

as she described her

choice to leave PP Guine.

250

Peltier got choked up.

251

Okay.

252

I felt like Planned Parenthood

was the job I was born to do.

253

It broke my heart when this all

happened, and I felt like I had

254

to leave for my own mental health.

255

She said, when I talk about

Planned Parenthood, I still say we.

256

I just feel like my heart is still there.

257

I still donate.

258

Well, I haven't been doing as much

lately because of the situation.

259

Unlike all of the other past employees

we've interviewed, pelt got some level

260

of closure for her treatment by Eastland.

261

A few years after I left, he actually

invited me out to coffee and apologized

262

to me for treating me the way he did.

263

She said, so I know that he knows

that the way he treated me was not

264

great and that he regrets that I left.

265

At least that's what he said.

266

Eastly and Peepee Gwynnie did not

respond to a request for comment.

267

Marty Bino, who worked at

268

In 2021, Marty Bino appeared in an

83 second video advertisement for

269

the advocacy arm of the National

Planned Parenthood organization.

270

Bino seems proud, proud of being

transgender of his Mexican immigrant

271

identity, and proud too of his employer,

planned Parenthood of Greater Washington

272

and North Idaho, and how supportive

they had been of all aspects of him.

273

I'm the person who one day arrived at

a place where the mountains meet the

274

sky, and finally found a home in Planned

Parenthood, Brasio says in the Spanish,

275

voiceover played over shots of him smiling

in front of the PP GU office in Spokane.

276

A home where I'm not just accepted,

but I'm welcomed for who I always was.

277

A place where my life begins again.

278

BIA was featured in PP Wynne's

annual report that year too.

279

His smiling face next to a QR code,

linking to the video and above a

280

section about PP Wynne's diversity,

equity, and inclusion efforts

281

that begins Care no matter what.

282

Within two years, BIA would be gone from

PP quinnie working instead at the billing

283

department of a Spokane cosmetic surgeon.

284

B'S story aligned closely with what we've

consistently heard from other employees.

285

He felt overworked at pp, guine,

and Undercompensated for labor.

286

He described as stressful.

287

He'd started in the call center,

which SIO described as short staffed.

288

He hustled there until he

started to feel burnt out.

289

He applied for an internal promotion

and didn't get it, but was offered a

290

transfer to the billing department,

291

a lateral move that came with

additional duties but no pay raise.

292

Nia said he frequently had to

work extra hours off the clock

293

to ensure he didn't fall behind.

294

It was too much for one person.

295

He said on top of that, SIA was

beginning to medically transition

296

and pp Gwynne's medical benefits

function like golden handcuffs.

297

His work insurance covered

his gender affirming care.

298

As one of the transgender employees on

staff, he was asked to lead internal

299

diversity training, which he did

happily and for free, hoping to advance

300

his career and move into a higher

position doing diversity, equity,

301

and inclusion work for PP Quinny.

302

That advancement never came though.

303

He later advocated for himself

in a meeting with a manager

304

and started receiving a small

stipend each time he presented.

305

In the fall of 2020, Senio requested to

be transferred out of billing and back

306

to the call center thinking it would be

less responsibility for the same pay.

307

His manager told him that

instead, it would be best if Senio

308

and Peepee guine parted ways.

309

He remembers asking, are you firing me?

310

And being told no.

311

We think we should separate

at the end of the year.

312

I think they were trying to get me to quit

so they didn't have to pay unemployment.

313

Senio said he started applying for other

314

He was barely making $18 an hour.

315

Senio said I was there for five years

and I was barely making $18 an hour at

316

the time, Washington's minimum wage

was set at $14 and 49 cents an hour.

317

His new job at the cosmetic surgeon's

office isn't as personally meaningful,

318

SIO said, but he's making about $10 an

hour more than he did at PP Guine between

319

2018 when SIO started at PP Guine in

320

had jumped from $234,515 to $399,979

321

Eastlands Executive Compensation while

his employees were fighting for raises

322

and being asked to do unpaid work.

323

Eastlands salary was growing greatly.

324

As we've previously reported,

Eastland makes a lot of money and the

325

current number may be even higher.

326

The salary numbers we have come from PP

Winnie's most recent non-profit tax filing

327

known as a nine 90 for the tax year 2023.

328

Historically, PP Winnie has filed its tax

returns closer to the middle of the year.

329

They filed those 2023 tax returns in

330

months if his salary has grown again.

331

To get a sense of whether

Eastlands compensation was in

332

line with other similar leaders.

333

We compared his compensation with

executive compensation data for

334

comparable local nonprofit healthcare

organizations and foundations, as

335

well as Planned Parenthood affiliates

across the US that have similar

336

levels of yearly revenue to pp.

337

Winnie, we've created some pretty

graphs, but since you're listening

338

online, here are a few key takeaways.

339

CEOs of non-unionized Planned Parenthood

affiliates like Py, Winnie generally make

340

more than CEOs of their unionized peers.

341

Easton's compensation follows that trend.

342

His total compensation is higher than the

CEOs of all other unionized affiliates

343

with comparable annual yearly revenue.

344

Perhaps more surprising for

an organization dedicated

345

to reproductive healthcare.

346

Planned Parenthood may have a gendered

pay gap issue with one exception male

347

Planned Parenthood CEOs we looked at

made more than their female counterparts.

348

Only Sherry Bonner of Planned

Parenthood Pasadena and San Gabriel

349

Valley makes more than her male peers.

350

When local cost of living is factored

in the exception for Bonner goes

351

away, she lives in a much more

expensive area of the country.

352

And when that cost of living is

accounted for against CEO compensation,

353

she actually makes less than

Eastland and Ken Lambert, the CEO of

354

Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas.

355

When you adjust the CEO's compensation

by cost of living, Eastland actually

356

makes more than every other CEO of

comparable affiliates except one.

357

Lambert Lambert successfully

shot down employee unionization

358

efforts at his affiliate in 2021.

359

Additionally, Lambert's pay is so high.

360

It's been specifically noted in a 2023

report from anti-abortion advocacy

361

group, American Life Leagues Stop

International weaponizing the discrepancy

362

in pay between Planned Parenthood's

male and female CEOs as part of their

363

campaign against reproductive rights.

364

Okay.

365

Compared to CEOs of local Spokane,

nonprofit healthcare organizations

366

and foundations with similar sizes

and or industries, Eastland is

367

also near the top of the pack.

368

He made about $2,000 less per year than

Aaron Wilson, the CEO of Chaz, who manages

369

1,572 more employees than Eastland.

370

Eastland also made a hundred thousand

dollars more than the next highest

371

paid, CEO, Jeff Thomas, CEO of

372

Thomas has since passed who managed

760 more employees than Eastland.

373

If you consider salary alone and not

additional compensation, which can

374

include bonuses and benefits, Eastland

makes more than every other local CEO

375

of a comparable nonprofit organization.

376

Dodging donors Range isn't the only one

who can't get a call back from Eastland.

377

Some of ppe, Winnie's biggest donors

told us they have been ghosted too.

378

After reading our initial report and

calling both Eastland and representatives

379

of ppe, Winnie's board looking for

answers right after our first story

380

broke, Sharon Smith of the Smith Barbary

Progressive Fund began to make calls.

381

To Eastland, to the board president,

to board members to former employees.

382

She wanted answers.

383

In 2015, the foundation gave

$500,000 during the capital

384

campaign for the building.

385

The largest grant the foundation has ever

given to this day, which accounted for

386

25% of the total $2 million raised during

the capital campaign for the building.

387

The gift was so large, PP Guine honored

it by putting the Smith Barbiere name

388

on the side of the new building when the

Pullman campus of PP Guine was firebombed.

389

That same year,

390

the Fund donated another $40,000 as part

of a matching campaign to leverage a

391

total of $250,000 for the organization.

392

Despite her foundation's long history

of generosity and her permanent

393

public affiliation with PP Gny as

the sponsor of their Spokane campus

394

leadership of the organization didn't

pick up Smith's calls Board President

395

Alberto Salana did answer one call.

396

Smith told us, but quickly got off

the phone after finding out the

397

nature of her inquiry and has not

returned subsequent calls and emails.

398

I'd love to talk to anybody who

wants to talk to us because this

399

is really insane what's happening.

400

Smith told range.

401

We're very uncomfortable with being

affiliated with an organization

402

that does not provide appropriate

workplace rights and protections.

403

It's unacceptable to us.

404

Smith said one of the big reasons

Smith Barbier donated the money for

405

the building was because they wanted

to help provide a facility that the

406

patients deserved and ensure that even

low income patients had access to high

407

quality medical care and facilities.

408

It makes us so sad to think I've got

these patients telling me that they

409

had great care at Planned Parenthood,

and now knowing what's happening behind

410

the scenes, Smith said, knowing that

those employees who gave patients

411

that care and great service are not

being treated well and fairly and

412

equitably and appropriately, it's

devastating and for the foundation,

413

it's horrifying and disturbing.

414

As of Wednesday, March 26th, more than

three months after initially reaching

415

out, Smith said she still hasn't heard

from anyone at PP GNI Car Nielsen, another

416

longtime donor who sat on PP Winnie's

417

board president for three of those years.

418

Also spoke to range about her

recent frustrations with leadership.

419

I firmly support the mission

of Planned Parenthood.

420

Nielsen said every time I went to a board

meeting, I just felt really good about

421

what we were doing in the community.

422

Okay.

423

Prior to our story, Nielsen had already

been hearing rumblings about employee

424

frustration and mistreatment, but as

soon as she read about union busting at

425

Quinney, she was spurred into action.

426

She immediately emailed the board and

any employee she still knew canceling

427

her monthly donation and voicing her

disgust with the union busting contract.

428

She heard absolutely nothing back.

429

Nielsen told range.

430

She knows four or five major

donors who have been similarly

431

stonewalled, but declined to give

names because that information

432

was shared with her in confidence.

433

The idea that staff are trying to

unionize and eastlands trying to

434

break that just is not acceptable.

435

Nielsen said, I'm appalled at what they're

doing and trying to silence all this.

436

Nielsen had sent PP Winnie $150

every month for the last 10 years.

437

Once she threw in an extra $5,000

to support a specific fundraiser

438

like Smith Nielsen was also a

major donor for the new building

439

in Spokane, contributing $300,000.

440

Her dedication was so deep.

441

Nielsen said she even set

aside a piece of her estate to

442

give to PP Guine in her will.

443

After PP Guine chose not

to respond to her emails.

444

She wrote them out.

445

Eastland and PP Guine did not

respond to requests for comment.

446

We reached Saldana by phone, but as

soon as we identified ourselves as

447

range media inquiring about Pic Guine,

Saldana responded, hello, hello.

448

We called him back in case it was

a connection issue, but he didn't

449

pick up subsequent phone calls

and a message were not returned.

450

The merger.

451

Since our initial report, PP Guine

leadership has mostly stayed quiet,

452

with the exception of emailing our

first story out to their whole staff.

453

Thank you.

454

Last week though, they

made a big announcement.

455

PP Guine is absorbing the only

other non-unionized Planned

456

Parenthood affiliate in Washington

Planned Parenthood Mount Baker.

457

The merger brings PP G Winnie's

total number of clinics to 14 their

458

current 11 and three clinics, formerly

managed by Planned Parenthood Mount

459

Baker that will shift to PP Guine.

460

According to reporting from creme

two, PP g, Winnie's, CEO, Eastland

461

will stay at the helm of PPE Gwynnie.

462

The CEO of the Mount Baker

affiliate will be retiring.

463

Okay.

464

Marketing materials for the merger say The

move will help ensure the future of the

465

three clinics managed by the Mount Baker

affiliate on the west side of the state.

466

It also adds a significant chunk of new

employees to the PP Guine workforce.

467

The most recent data we have for each

organization are tax records covering

468

2023, but back then, PP Winney had a total

of 196 employees and Mount Baker had 59.

469

Assuming those numbers are still

somewhat accurate, absorbing the Mount

470

Baker staff will increase PP Quinny

staff by about 30% because unionization

471

requires the support of over 50% of

employees who vote in the union election.

472

By adding a large chunk of new

non-unionized employees who haven't

473

been privy to union conversations

or witness the working conditions,

474

the merger has potentially made

unionization efforts harder.

475

When we spoke to employees for our

first story, they told us it was already

476

difficult to organize within PP Quinny.

477

Because the 11 clinics are spread across

central and Eastern Washington, this new

478

badge of employees will be located in

the northwest corner of the state, even

479

farther from the rest of the PP, Quinny

clinics and the unionizing efforts.

480

Staff downsizing often follows a merger.

481

Part of the goal of many mergers

is to streamline costs, which

482

often means eliminating positions.

483

The organization hasn't

wasted any time on that front.

484

One day after the merger was announced

publicly two employees came into work to

485

find their positions had been eliminated.

486

An email sent by PPI Guine leadership

to the full staff of the newly merged

487

entity stated that the employees

would receive a generous severance

488

package, job search, support, and

reference to help with their next steps.

489

According to an employee at PP

Quinney who asked to use the pseudonym

490

Chris to protect their employment,

the generous severance package came

491

tied to non-disclosure agreements.

492

The layoffs were shocking for staff.

493

Chris said, because both

employees had been with Planned

494

Parenthood affiliates for years.

495

The Mount Baker employee whose position

was terminated, had even organized the

496

retirement party for Linda McCarthy,

the CEO of Mount Baker, who left

497

just before the merger handing the

reins of the new entity to Eastland.

498

Here's a quote from a screenshot of a text

thread of employees from the Mount Baker

499

affiliate shared anonymously with range.

500

Jenny refers to Jenny Soff.

501

One of the two employees terminated

as a result of the merger.

502

Okay.

503

Jenny, our Director of Development, who

has been at Mount Baker Planned Parenthood

504

for nearly a decade was termed today.

505

Do you think Linda McCarthy knew

that the person who planned her

506

goodbye celebration was going to

be terminated a few days later.

507

Please keep this question in mind when you

consider whether unionizing is worth it.

508

The abrupt layoffs seemed even more

cruel because there were open positions

509

within PP Winnie at other clinics that

the employees who had been let go of

510

had experience for Chris said it's

created even more of a culture of fear.

511

Because the letter sent out by pp

Quinnie also stated that if more staffing

512

changes are needed, they will happen

later this spring or early summer.

513

Employees are now on edge fearful.

514

They may lose their job with no notice,

especially if leadership thinks they

515

may be involved in unionization efforts.

516

Hannah, a former employee of the

Mount Baker affiliate, who also

517

asked to use a pseudonym out of fear

of retaliation in the tight-knit

518

healthcare community around Bellingham.

519

Told Range that when she read our first

piece on PP Quinnie, she recognized a lot

520

of similarities to the work environment

she had experienced at Mount Baker.

521

She described high turnover rates

for health center staff, favoritism

522

from upper leadership and low pay.

523

In her years at Mount Baker, she

didn't receive a single raise.

524

She said not even a cost

of living adjustment.

525

While she thought there could be some

positives to the merger, like greater

526

resources and a better business strategy,

Hannah is worried for her former

527

colleagues under Eastlands leadership.

528

Okay.

529

We need to make sure that we're

holding the organization accountable,

530

especially in a time of change where

we can't just assume that things

531

are only changing for the better.

532

Hannah said.

533

Hannah also said that the addition of the

Mount Baker staff to PP Quinny might not

534

be a death blow to unionization efforts.

535

After all telling range

conversations about unionization

536

at Mount Baker had already begun

before the merger was announced.

537

UFCW 3000.

538

The union working with PP Gny staff

declined to comment for this story.

539

Additional reporting was

contributed by Luke Baumgarten.

540

An editor's note, Sharon Smith is

co-founder of the Smith Barbie Progressive

541

Fund, which is provided funding for range.

542

Range maintains rigorous control

over our editorial content.

543

And while we may call funders for comment

on stories where their perspective is

544

relevant, they have zero oversight or

input into anything we write per our

545

policy on community journalism developed.

546

In conjunction with our advisory

board, we hired an editor from outside

547

of the range team to edit the story

for both content and potential bias.