ANN ARBOR, Mich. – More than 300 current and former female physician assistants are suing Michigan Medicine, the health system affiliated with the University of Michigan, over accusations of wage discrimination.
The lawsuit, which was filed on Tuesday (April 15), alleged systemic and long-standing gender-based pay disparities in violation of Michigan’s Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act (ELCRA), among other state and federal laws.
Plaintiff Christine Oldenburg-McGee is a current PA at Michigan Medicine and the former President of the United Physician Assistants of Michigan Medicine (UPAMM) union.
Oldenburg-McGee brought the lawsuit on behalf of herself and similarly situated colleagues who, according to the lawsuit, have been paid on average $9,000 less per year than their male counterparts doing comparable work.
Defendants named in the lawsuit
The lawsuit names the University of Michigan Board of Regents, the University of Michigan, Michigan Medicine, the University of Michigan Medical School, and individual executives Dr. David Miller, Jovita Thomas-Williams, and Hakim Berry, all in their personal and professional capacities.
Per the complaint, the pay inequities persisted despite internal awareness and repeated advocacy, including from Oldenburg-McGee in her leadership capacity within UPAMM.
The lawsuit claims that instead of correcting the wage gap, the University of Michigan entrenched it further in bargaining agreements and failed to remedy the imbalance, even after Oldenburg-McGee escalated documentation of the disparities.
Seeking justice and damages
Plaintiffs are seeking not only back pay and associated retirement losses but also exemplary and punitive damages to deter future violations.
Federal claims under Title VII and the Equal Pay Act are expected to follow, with plaintiffs seeking maximum statutory damages, including liquidated and punitive damages under federal law.
The case was filed in the Washtenaw County Circuit Court and is expected to move forward as a certified class action under Michigan Court Rule 3.501.
