Milwaukee Labor Unions Demand Rogers Behavioral Health Stop Union Busting

Ingrid Walker-Henry, President of the Milwaukee Teachers’ Education Association (MTEA), representing more than 5,600 public education workers in the Milwaukee Public Schools, and Pam Fendt, President of the Milwaukee Area Labor Council (MALC), made up of 80 affiliated unions representing 25,000 workers in Milwaukee, Ozaukee, and Washington counties issued a joint statement today:

“We stand in solidarity with the workers at Rogers Behavioral Health who are facing outrageous retaliation for overwhelmingly stating their desire to form a union to improve patient care and working conditions. Firing workers for union activity is a blatant violation of federal law. Union busting is disgusting.

“We are calling on Rogers to immediately reinstate the three workers who were fired and to recognize the unions in Madison and West Allis, just as Rogers recognized the will of its employees in California and Philadelphia to join the National Union of Healthcare Workers. Rogers is a Wisconsin-based company, and it should treat Wisconsin workers with the same respect that it treats its workers in other states.”

Ingrid Walker-Henry, President of MTEA, added “Our students, like so many people in Wisconsin, rely on Rogers for mental health services and MTEA members expect Rogers to honor the rights of its workers to organize for better care. We have serious concerns about our students being able to get the care they need from a company that fired three frontline caregivers in retaliation for seeking recognition of their decision to form a union with the National Union of Healthcare Workers.”

Pam Fendt, President of the Milwaukee Area Labor Council, said “The workers at Rogers show up ready each day to make a difference in the life of a person in crisis. Staff at Rogers are strong and care for people who are navigating a difficult time. This display of retaliation is a violation of the National Labor Relations Act and we call for these three workers to be reinstated immediately with backpay.”

Background

In 2024, workers at Rogers’ three locations in California joined the National Union of Healthcare Workers and negotiated strong contracts that included improved wages, caseload limits and restrictions on the use of AI. In December of 2025, Rogers workers in Philadelphia also joined NUHW with Rogers agreeing to recognize the union without a vote.

However, in Wisconsin, Rogers has tried to halt union drives at its locations in Madison and West Allis. Rogers has hired union busters for Madison and in West Allis, Rogers fired the three workers who presented a petition seeking voluntary recognition of the union. The NLRB is slated to schedule a vote for both locations on February 18.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.