April 17, 2025
The plaintiffs declare UM knew about this disparity for years however did not act on it
Greater than 300 present and former feminine doctor assistants (PAs) have sued the well being system affiliated with the College of Michigan (UM), Michigan Medication, over allegations of wage discrimination.
Within the lawsuit, filed April 15, present PA Christine Oldenburg-McGee was named the plaintiff as she introduced the lawsuit ahead on behalf of herself and different colleagues.
The group was allegedly paid $9,000 much less per yr on common than their male counterparts doing the identical quantity of labor. The president of the United Doctor Assistants of Michigan Medication (UPAMM) union, Oldenburg-McGee mentioned the systemic and long-standing gender-based pay disparities violate Michigan’s Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act (ELCRA) in addition to different state and federal legal guidelines.
“This case may have been prevented with motion years in the past,” the PAs’ legal professional Sarah Prescott mentioned in an announcement, based on MLive. “As a substitute, our purchasers have waited lengthy sufficient. It’s time for accountability.”
The plaintiffs declare that UM was conscious of this disparity for years however failed to handle it, as a substitute negotiating a contract in 2021 that “somewhat entrenched it additional” and perpetuated the wage hole.
“Regardless of the UM Defendants’ information of the gender wage hole, and regardless of expressions of intentions to handle the disparity, the UM Defendants have for years failed and refused to appropriate for it,” the go well with learn.
The defendants on this lawsuit are the College of Michigan Board of Regents, the College of Michigan, Michigan Medication, and the College of Michigan Medical College. Some executives named embrace Dr. David Miller, Jovita Thomas-Williams, and Hakim Berry, in addition to Dr. David Miller, the CEO, who allegedly exercised policymaking oversight and managerial management over Michigan Medication through the specified durations listed within the go well with.
The case, filed within the Washtenaw County Circuit Courtroom, is anticipated to maneuver ahead as a licensed class motion underneath Michigan Courtroom Rule 3.501.
The plaintiffs search not solely again pay and associated retirement losses however exemplary and punitive damages to discourage future violations.
“This case is about equal pay for equal work – nothing extra, and definitely nothing much less,” Prescott mentioned. “These girls are extremely educated medical professionals. They make the system itself operable, they usually need to be compensated pretty and equitably.”
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