Union Votes Meet Medicaid Cuts: What Indiana’s Second UAW Vote Means for ABA Owners

PERU, INDIANA – Behavior technicians at Engaging Minds Autism Services’ clinic voted Oct. 8 to join the United Auto Workers, according to the ABA Workers Union, a group led by ABA workers that backs union drives. The reported win follows a 22-to-0 vote in January at Circle City ABA’s Kokomo clinic.

The group gave no vote count. The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) public docket reviewed Oct. 16 listed neither a ballot tally nor certification, and warns that it does not show all case actions. The case file shows that UAW Region 2B petitioned on Sept. 8 for a unit of 30 workers, including technicians and staff trainers. Board-certified clinicians and managers are among those excluded. The docket lists a stipulated election agreement dated Sept. 16.

The case is filed under Autism Brain Alternatives, Inc. Its federal provider record lists Engaging Minds’ Kokomo address and co-founder Clinton Paul as president/owner. The company says Clinton and Angela Paul founded Engaging Minds after their two sons were diagnosed with autism. Its website lists centers in Kokomo, Muncie, and Peru.

“Our working conditions are our clients’ therapy conditions, and each union victory improves them.” – ABA Workers Union, announcing the Peru vote

The group’s post says the technicians “marched on the boss” on Sept. 4, four days before the petition. In organizers’ language, that means workers confronting management together with their demands. The post does not say what those demands were.

Kokomo’s Earlier Vote

Late in 2025, workers at Circle City ABA’s Kokomo clinic approached Zachary Boyd, an organizer for UAW Region 2B, about joining the union, the Kokomo Tribune reported. Circle City ABA’s website lists clinics in five states. The Kokomo technicians voted Jan. 5, and the NLRB certified the union eight days later. In February, the UAW said they had joined Local 685, which also represents workers at Stellantis’ Kokomo Transmission Plant.

Workers and the union cited job security, staff turnover, and recent policy changes, the paper reported. Referring to the children receiving services, Boyd said, “The biggest thing is making sure their kids are taken care of, and job security is also huge.”

Bargaining Amid Medicaid Changes

Both employers say they accept Medicaid. On April 1, 2026, Indiana cut its published maximum fees for individual ABA services by 6%. For treatment delivered by a registered behavior technician (RBT) under billing code 97153, the scheduled hourly rate fell from $68.24 to $64.16. A further 4% cut across individual and group ABA codes is scheduled for April 1, 2027, bringing that rate to $61.56. These are provider reimbursement figures, not technicians’ wages.

Indiana also introduced a 4,000-hour lifetime allocation for comprehensive ABA, defined as treatment of 16 or more hours a week. Medically necessary targeted ABA remains available for up to 15 hours weekly. Additional comprehensive care is covered when a subsequent review establishes medical necessity. The allocation excludes school-corporation services and specified clinician and caregiver services.

Once a union is certified, federal law requires the employer and the union to bargain in good faith over wages, hours, and working conditions. State reimbursement rates and coverage rules affect revenue from Medicaid clients, but they do not determine either clinic’s finances or what wage increases it can offer.

In Maryland, technicians at Verbal Beginnings in Rockville voted 33 to 1 for Teamsters Local 639 in May 2025. They went on strike July 20, 2026, seeking a first contract, BreakingNewsABA reported. On Sept. 30, an individual represented by the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation filed a petition to remove the union. That NLRB case remained open as of Oct. 16.

Federal rules allow parties five business days after a ballot tally is prepared to file election objections. In Peru, certification would depend on the result and resolution of any objections or ballot challenges that could affect the outcome.

AT A GLANCE

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