New Study to Explore Midwives Unionizing for Better Care

UCSF research faculty Ariana Thompson-Lastad, PhD, and research associate Jessica M. Harrison, PhD, have been awarded a Mount Zion Health Fund grant to launch a pilot study on the growing movement toward unionization among midwives. The competitive grant supports early career investigators conducting research that addresses unmet health care needs. 

Midwives play a critical role in delivering high-quality health care and improving outcomes for individuals during the perinatal period and across the life course. Yet, despite the rising demand for their services, midwives remain underutilized due to regulatory restrictions, organizational challenges, and persistent workforce shortages. Many midwives experience high levels of job stress due to limited decision-making authority, inadequate support, and difficult workplace conditions. 

In response to these challenges, midwives working within health care systems are turning to labor organizing as a way to improve workplace conditions and promote long-term career sustainability. This trend reflects broader efforts nationwide to support clinician well-being and maintain high standards of care. 

This new qualitative study will examine the emergence of unionization among midwives in California and Oregon. It will explore the institutional and policy factors contributing to organizing efforts, describe the processes involved, and assess early impacts on clinicians and health systems. 

“Our long-term goal is to address the systemic suppression of midwifery care in the U.S.,” said Dr. Harrison. “We envision structural and system-level changes that make these clinicians’ careers sustainable, enhance their well-being at work, and improve patient health.” 

The study will run from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026, with clinical consultant Kim Dau, RN, MS, CNM—former co-director of UCSF’s midwifery master’s program—joining the research team.