Sunday, May 31, 2020

Corona Virus Update 5/31

I want to speak to you about injustice for a minute.
First the injustice of hate that we see playing out in Minnesota this week but that we have seen played out elsewhere and way too often. The fact is, what color your skin is, what your native language is, what sex you are, what religion you are, and other criteria make a difference in this country.
And it should not.
I am embarrassed by it.

It is not inevitable.
I grew up in one of the whitest counties in America. I grew up middle class and privledged.
But my parents told us that we Irish were not always a white race. They told us how signs in the shops once read “no Irish need apply,” they told us that the people who lived on one side of us went to a different church than us and the people on the other side went to a synagogue but that the difference was only in how they worshiped, not what they believed, not what kind of people they were.

My heart breaks when my sisters and brothers of color or who are non-Christian are discriminated against.
It breaks when I think about our history of slavery of Blacks and genocide of Native Americans.
And it should break.

We can be better and we must be better.

Today in Connecticut we dropped just below 500 people hospitalized for Covid-19.
Today, 84 days after the first confirmed Connecticut case, we have 481 hospitalizations, down 52 from yesterday. (Our high was 1,972 on 4/26)
11 days into our reopening we have lost 3,944 Connecticut residents, 32 today.

I ask, if we have decreased the number of hospitalizations so much and the trend seems to be steady....
If we have adequate PPE supplies now....
Why are we still reusing PPE?
Why are we “re-sterilizing” PPE?
Why have we not returned to normal infection control practices? (So called CDC Conventional Capacity)
Why?
Unless, this is the new normal?
Unless, this saves healthcare corporations money, money they can give out to executive in bonuses?


Yesterday’s rally in New London was inspirational. What you may not know is that this was very much a grass roots member driven effort. The members of the 4 L&M Locals organized and carried out this rally. Yes, they enlisted the “professional” help of your field staff (organizers, field reps, Communications, Legislative, etc), who by the way worked very hard and I want to thank them.
But this rally didn’t happen without the members activism and that should be recognized.
This is what we believe in at AFT Connecticut.
We believe that the POWER rests in the rank and file membership, not in leadership, not in staff.
Well done “Quad Local.”

Randi had an ask of us yesterday. To reach out to Senators to pass the HEROES act which passed the House and would provide relief to towns and states, and call for protections for healthcare workers.
The Senate will not take this bill us unless we push them.
I asked my Congressman, Joe Courtney, a true champion, if it matters if we call and write, even if our senators are on board?
He said it does. He said when the calls are overwhelming it changes things. He said many senators are pressured to vote against this bill but concerned about how their constituents will react if they vote against their interests.

Please take 2 minutes  and call.



Be well,
John



Saturday, May 30, 2020

Corona Virus Update 5/30

We spent today in New London.
There was a rally for PPE and respect and a memorial of those we have lost.
There are so many people for me to thank.
The leadership and activists of AFT Locals 5123, 5119, 5051, 5049. They are the sisters and brothers who made this happen.
The leaders from AFT Locals: Windham United, Manchester Healthcare Workers, Backus Nurses, UHP, Norwalk Teachers, SVFT, JPE, who attended.
The staff of AFT Connecticut who helped in the planning, the carrying out, and the reporting on of the rally.
Members and leaders from the Teamsters, IBEW, CHCA, AFSME Council 4, SEIU/1199, Medal Trades Union, SEBAC, Plummer’s and Pipe fitters, Carpenters, and others.
The Political’s who attended: New London Mayor Michael Passero, Groton Mayor Patrice Granatosky, State Senator Cathy Osten, State reps Joe de la Cruz, Christine Conley, and Kate Rotella, U. S. Representative Joe Courtney, Governor Ned Lamont, Lt Governor Susan Bysiewicz.
Connecticut AFL-CIO President Sal Luciano, and AFT President Randi Weingarten.

My apologies to anyone I omitted.

We remembered AFT Connecticut members lost to Covid-19
Elva Graveline, a CNA from 5123.
Jonathan Coelho. A probation officer.

We pledged to fight for the living.

I asked Joe Courtney, does it matter if we make calls and send emails to senators from other states (because Connecticut Senators will support).
Joe said it does. When the volume of calls is overwhelming- it matters.

So I have an ask, the same ask Randi had.
Please write to senators, call them, tell your friends in other states to do the same, post on FB and Twitter.
The message is simple:
Support the HERO act passed by the House of Representatives. 
https://aftvoices.org/dont-forfeit-the-future-c71d55fb73a3




We are 83 days since our first confirmed case of Covid-19 in Ct and we are 10 days into phase one of our reopening.
42,022 Connecticut residents have tested positive.
3,912 have died.

Hospitalizations are down 44 today (533)

Be well,
John




Friday, May 29, 2020

Corona Virus Update 5/29

We are 82 days since our first confirmed case of Covid-19 in Connecticut. We are 9 days into our phase 1 of reopening.
Hospitalizations are down 71 to 577
Deaths are up 42 today to a total of 3,868


Tomorrow we him hold a rally hosted by our 4 L&M Locals in New London where we will take time to remember those last to Covid and rededicate ourselves top the fight for appropriate Personal Protective Equipment.

Today, the President announced we will withdraw from the World Health Organization. In the middle of a pandemic. I will leave you to form your own opinion, bu I offer this, from Senator Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn:
"I disagree with the president's decision," said Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, in a statement after the announcement. "Withdrawing U.S. membership could, among other things, interfere with clinical trials that are essential to the development of vaccines, which citizens of the United States as well as others in the world need. And withdrawing could make it harder to work with other countries to stop viruses before they get to the United States."

Thursday, May 28, 2020

Corona Virus Update 5/28

We are 81 days from our first confirmed case of Covid in Connecticut. We are 8 days into our reopening.
Hospitalizations are down 36 today to 648
23 more have died, for a total of  3,826.

I was on a call with a member who has been sick for over a month, was hospitalized for 11 days, still gets out of breath, and she had not filed for unemployment or Workers’ Compensation. Please speak to your union rep if you become sick. Employers will not look out for your best interest. (I’m sure there are occasional exceptions)
In fact, some hospitals will send you a bill for your hospital treatment if you become sick at work!
That was the case fro this hospital member.

RESPECT Rally


NOTE:  We will be enforcing social distancing guidelines: 8 feet distancing for rally participants and mask required (we have some at the rally if needed)


Be well,
John

Wednesday, May 27, 2020

Corona Virus Update 5/27

I have exciting news today. 
AFT National executive board have gone to great lengths to secure PPE to keep our members safe. It has not been easy. There have been starts and stops. But today, surgical masks and face shields arrived at the AFT Connecticut!!!!!
Many presidents have responded with their needs and I’ll work on coordinating with you, but please let me know if you haven’t already.

I’ll share a couple of things today.
First, a letter from the daughter for Elva Graveline about her mom, one of our members who we lost to this horrible virus.  Pleasant help if you can.

Hey everyone.  My mom, Elva Graveline, was a wonderful woman. She was the best mother, grandmother, and wife I've ever known (I'm biased, of course). She cared for everyone over herself. She was a CNA at L&M Hospital for nearly 23 years and was loved by many. She will be sorely missed by her family and friends. We want to place an obituary in the newspaper for mom but the paper said it would be between $150-$250 to run the article with the picture we want. If anyone is willing to help out with the cost, it would be greatly appreciated.  Thank you. Sincerely,  Shelly

https://www.gofundme.com/f/mom039s-obituary?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=m_pd+share-sheet


The second thing is a letter to the per diems of my home local, 5149, the Backus federation of Nurses.
This is personal to me.  This is the Local I helped form.  These nurses have devoted their lives to the service of others, they deserve a voice.


Hello everyone,

I’m reaching out to say congratulations on taking this brave, important step towards joining Backus Federation of Nurses and having a voice in the workplace with your union co-workers.

Some of you know me from my 21 years working at the bedside at Backus Hospital, but some may not. I left the hospital in 2015 when I was elected as Vice President of AFT Connecticut. The Backus Federation of Nurses 5149 is a vital part of AFT Connecticut. We stand with nurses and healthcare professionals at 11 of Connecticut’s hospitals. Today the National Labor Relations Board is mailing your ballots and you will shortly start receiving those ballots that will ask you to decide if you’d like to join your other 400 plus RN coworkers as part of 5149. I want to be clear that you will be part of the same Local as all the other nurses as Backus, not a separate unit. I have heard there is some misinformation around this topic.

I remember when I was approached by my coworker Mary Ann Bouthillier in 2011. She told me that a group of nurses were gathering and discussing how things had changed at the hospital and how they felt they had lost their voice at the table.

At its core, this is what being a union nurse means. It means having the ability to do what we were all taught in nursing school, to be an advocate for our patients, their families, and for each other. Standing together gives us the ability to do this.

I look forward to you joining me as a member of the Backus Federation of Nurses, Local 5149. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me with any questions or concerns, now or when you are a member after the election.

Thank you for all you do every day,
In solidarity,
John




We are 80 days since the first confirmed case of Covid in Connecticut. We are 7 days into our reopening. 
We lost another 34 Connecticut residents today. A total of 3803. 

Hospitalizations are down 10, to 684. 



Please be safe and be well,
John

Tuesday, May 26, 2020

Corona Virus Update 5/26

I want to thank Grisel Escalara for taking the time to be on a zoom call with the governor today. Grisel and other union members were able to tell Governor Lamont firsthand how they have had Workers’ Compensation denied after contracting Covid-19 at work. 
I also want to thank Martha Marx for taking part in a telephone town hall with Senator Blumenthal and made the case for “erring on the side of caution” to protect caregivers risking Corona Virus exposure.


Both are members of our VNA Local in SE CT.


I participated on a press conference a day before a Face Book shareholders meeting calling on FB to stop disinformation on it’s platform.





Today we passed 100,000 Corona Virus deaths in the United States.
Think about that a minute………..


We are 80 days since our first confirmed case of Covid-19 in Connecticut and 7 days into our reopening.
694 people are hospitalized, down 12 today
3769 have died, 27 today.


Be well, be safe,
John

Monday, May 25, 2020

Corona Virus Update 5/25

We should start by remembering those who gave all for their country.

We are 79 days since our first confirmed case of Covid in Connecticut. We are 6 days into our reopening. Not a lot to report today.
There were 49 more deaths (3742)
 Hospitalizations went up by 5 today, to 706

Be well,
John

Sunday, May 24, 2020

Corona Virus Update 5/24

We are 78 days since our first confirmed case of Covid in Connecticut. We are 5 days into our reopening. 
Hospitalizations are down 23 to 701
18 more have died, for a total of 3693

Everything you wanted to know about Covid but we’re afraid to ask

First off, I’m no expert. I’m not an epidemiologist or a virologist. But I am a nurse and I did work in an emergency room for 21 years. I was involved in the training and development of best practice guidelines for the Ebola response, and we underwent hazmat training in the emergency department for the possibility of chemical spills, radiation leaks, and the like.
We have been tracking this virus since we first heard of it in Wuhan. I’ll admit, at first I through it would be much like SARS 1, MERS, or Ebola and be contained to certain parts of the globe.
Like so many of us, I was wrong.
This Virus seems to be incredibly contagious and carries a high mortality rate. At the same time, we have no vaccine to protect us and are just now learning how to treat it. Add to this is the fact that we are not sure how it spreads, what the long term effects might be on the body, whether it will have a second wave or even become seasonal.  All this makes it extremely worrisome and should make us extremely cautious.
In time we will discover answers to these questions.
In the meantime, what do we know?
As of today (May 24,) we know it has killed close to 350,000 people worldwide. We know that it has killed nearly 100,000 in the U.S.  (more Americans in 3 months than the 19 years of the Vietnam war)
We know it has hit those above 60 the hardest, especially those in nursing homes, but it has also hit younger people with pre-existing medical conditions hard too. We are only now starting to see its effects on children from a multi system inflammatory illness. We know it has hit healthcare workers hard, with approximately 20% of all cases involving them.
The most important thing to remember is that there is more we are uncertain about than we are certain of.
We believe it is spread by droplets when someone speaks, coughs or sneezes (and perhaps even just breathing) and that it can live on surfaces up to 3 days. We believe that one can become infected by breathing the virus in, or by touching an infected surface then touching our mouth, nose or eyes. Studies indicate this is a significant source of spread for about 6 feet around a person. We believe the virus is in feces. We believe that people can have this virus and spread it before they have symptoms and that some people may have the virus and either never develop symptoms or have symptoms so mild that they may not notice them. Some studies have shown it can remain airborne for up to 3 hours in some conditions and spread as far as 27 feet. We know that soap and water, or alcohol based hand cleaners will kill the virus.

Open for business
As we start to reopen for business, understanding the little we do know and keeping up with reliable new information is important.
On that mater, I must stress this and I cannot stress this enough.
Please to not rely on Face Book, Twitter, our your neighbor for Covid information. Please do not try the “next miracle,” “Cure,” or “prevention,” and don’t follow the leads of non-medical people like politicians or business executives, who all have their own agendas. Please, please, please consult multiple  reputable medical resources to inform yourself.
As decisions are made on how to reopen, they should be done with heavy consultations from medical personnel and front line workers. Perhaps we should ask the bedside nurse if she has thoughts on what happens if we get another spike. Perhaps teachers and school support staff should be consulted on what will work or not work in the “new classroom.” The same goes for all industries and settings.
We also have to be ready and willing to scale back reopening plans IF there is a rise in cases or hospitalizations.
We must have the capacity to test and trace outbreaks so we can contain them and we must, must, must have sufficient PPE to protect our frontline workers who are now using inadequate PPE, reusing it for multiple patients and multiple days, and becoming sick themselves and passing the virus to others.

To mask or not to mask- is that a question?
Like most of the world, I have learned more about face masks in the past few months than I ever wanted to know.
Cloth masks, surgical masks, level one, two and three masks, N95s, N100s, elastomeric respirators, and PAPRs.
In fact N95 and Wuhan are now a recognized words in normal conversation, something we couldn’t have said last year.

The breath you see when you speak on a cold day is small respiratory droplet that we expel when breathing or speaking. Those droplets are expelled on a warm day too, we just don’t see them.
Since we believe that coughing, sneezing, and speaking can spread this virus and since some studies indicate that breathing can also, and since we believe we can contract the virus by breathing it in, masks are important.
The CDC has relaxed masks guidance in healthcare settings based a on availability but their guidance has always (and remains) that N95 or better respirators should be used when available by healthcare workers when caring for Covid-19 patients or suspected patients. Since people can spread this virus even without symptoms, EVERYONE is a suspected carrier. We also believe that the risk of infection is greatest writhing 6 feet and the risk of contracting Covid increases with each potential exposure.
Healthcare workers work within 6 feet of patients and have an incredibly high number of exposures in a day/week/month.
We also know that a respirator filters smaller airborne particles than a mask. (N95s filter 95%) We also know that respirators like N95s or better provide a better seal against droplets than a surgical or other mask.
All of this is the basis for the belief that healthcare workers should use N95 respirators or better.

What about the rest of us, when we are out and about? Do we need surgical or cloth masks?
First let’s look at what a surgical or cloth mask does.
This story that someone told me explains it fairly well.
If you are worried about someone pissing on your leg you can put on a pair of pants. That will block some of the urine. Or, they can put on a pair of pants and that will block all the urine.
If you wear a cloth or surgical mask, it will block some of the droplets from others, but it will block almost all of the droplets from you to another. Since you could be a carrier without knowing it, you wear the mask primarily to prevent spread to another (which seems like the right thing to do to me)

Closing thoughts.
What we know clearly is that we continue to learn about this Virus, how it spreads and how to protect ourselves. Much research continues and we may develop a vaccine at some point. In the meantime, we should take all possible precautions to protect each other.  Our lives depend upon it. 

Be well,
John

Saturday, May 23, 2020

Corona Virus Update 5/23

This weekend we honor those heroes who paid the ultimate price. 
We do this at a time when we are once again at war, not with another nation, but with an invisible virus. Nevertheless, it is killing us as surely as bombs or rifles. In fact, since it disproportionately kills our elderly it has become a threat to many veterans who served and survived. 
Nearly 340,000 people worldwide and nearly 100,000 in this country have died. 
Too many of them have been Healthcare workers or others on the front line. 
I want to reopen as badly as the next guy, but we must do it smartly and carefully. 
I think those who paid the ultimate price would want us to be safe.  

We are 77 days since our first confirmed case of Covid in Connecticut. We are 4 days into our partial reopening. 
724 are hospitalized, down 16
3675 have died, up 38. 


Since Healthcare workers are restricted from having water at their workstations, “hydration stations” have become a thing. 


Be well,
John

As a reminder, counseling is available to AFT members through this link. 

Friday, May 22, 2020

Corona Virus Update 5/22

We are 76 days since our first confirmed case of Covid in Connecticut. 

3637 people have died, 55 today. 

740 are hospitalized, down 76. 

Obtaining PPE for members is union work

After a nail-biting five weeks in transit, close to $3 million in personal protective equipment arrived safely in New York City, and the AFT, which purchased the urgently needed gear, has begun distributing it to frontline healthcare and public safety members across the country. Darlene Williams, a leader with the New York State Public Employees Federation and a state occupational therapist, is helping deliver the PPE to our members in hospitals and residential facilities. Watch this moving video as she first sees the delivery.

We are expecting a shipment next week.



To bolster your efforts to organize and engage members—especially to build our collective power as we fight to safely reopen our communities and to win the 2020 election—we are offering a collection of FREE materials.
AFT members are always heroes to me, but they have been extraordinary in this coronavirus pandemic: from the nurses, respiratory therapists and other healthcare members who are caring for patients with COVID-19, to the public employees mobilizing to scale up virus testing, to the teachers and faculty who turned on a dime to go from in-person to remote learning, to the school staff who are cooking and distributing thousands of meals each day.
These free resources are intended to help you as part of the union’s drive to make a difference in your work and your life. Our union has been built for this moment. As we face unprecedented challenges to our health, safety and economic security, more and more people are seeing the true value of the union movement. It is the vehicle we can use to ensure our voice is heard and, with that, ensure a stronger democracy and a better life for all. How? These free materials show how AFT members and leaders are making a difference with their caring and activism.
This crisis has laid bare the inequities in our country and highlighted the disastrous consequences of cuts to the nation’s public health infrastructure. Think about it: the lack of paid sick leave for all workers, the prevalence of food insecurity, the gaping digital divide, and the unconscionable number of Americans who are uninsured or underinsured. Before the pandemic, 40 percent of Americans couldn’t put $400 together in an emergency, and by mid-May 39 percent of Americans who make less than $40,000 had lost work.
We will need bold steps, through government action focused on the needs of working people, to repair the harm to people’s health, the economy and our democracy. This gets to the heart of who we are as a union: We care, we fight, we show up and we vote. I have never been more proud of our members and of you, our leaders. Together, we will get through this.
For now, all you have to do is order your materials so they'll be ready when it’s time to start planning and get your activities going. Materials will begin shipping in June. Given that COVID-19 has affected the logistics of production and shipping, you may encounter delays. We thank you in advance for your patience.
This year's materials include:
  • AFT pocket calendars (2020-2021 Educators, 2021 Nurses and Health Professionals, and 2021 Public Employees);
  • AFT+ Member Benefits brochures;
  • Brochures to help you organize; and
  • Brochures highlighting AFT programs and resources, including stories of our members who are meeting the needs of patients, students and communities throughout the pandemic.
We will also send a set of materials to help you engage with your members around the union’s response to the pandemic and the 2020 election.

Orders must be places by June 12. Contact me for help. 
Also, check out our comprehensive set of digital resources—including flexible, practical strategies to safely reopen in ways that make sense for each unique community. Visit www.aft.org/coronavirus today!
If you have questions, please email aftmaterials@aft.org.


In unity,

Randi Weingarten
AFT President


FDA Complaints to FDA on decontaminated respirators (long)-

The Food and Drug Administration has approved emergency use authorizations (EUAs) to six companies on decontamination of N95 or similar respirators.  We do not believe this is the right approach to address the emergency shortage of single use N95s.  We have already had troubling reports of malfunctioning decontaminated respirators.

FDA needs to hear from workers and their unions if decontaminated respirators fail to perform or fit compared to first use. For instance, if straps and nose clips deteriorate or if the wearer cannot easily perform a seal check, a complaint is warranted. In addition, a FDA should hear about any decontaminated respirators that cause adverse reactions, or about any concerns or indications that the employer is not implementing the decontamination system as approved by the FDA.  We encourage local leaders and members to submit complaints to FDA on adverse reactions and improper decontamination. 

If healthcare workers experience adverse reactions or get infected with COVID-19 while using decontaminated respirators, FDA expects that employers will report this to the company and the company will report this to FDA.  FDA also has an online reporting tool for healthcare providers, but it is intended for patient safety, not worker safety. [1]  

We are pushing the agency to create a direct way for healthcare workers to report problems with decontaminated respirators in writing, but in the meantime, we encourage you and members to file a complaint. Members or unions can also use an FDA phone number and fax number to report adverse reactions.[2]   A template for writing a complaint to FDA is part of this document.  We encourage you to use this as a checklist for your complaint.  FDA guarantees workers confidentiality for complaints.

Although the FDA has only approved decontamination of respirators during the pandemic, we are concerned that employers and the companies want to make the EUAs permanent.  N95s and similar respirators are single use devices that were never designed to be decontaminated or reused.  FDA needs data from workers on COVID-19 conversions, headaches, etc. so that workers’ needs are considered. 

In addition, testing of decontaminated respirators was done under lab conditions, not on N95s that real healthcare workers had to wear for an entire shift or multiple days.  The FDA did not anticipate that some employers would require healthcare workers to use decontaminated respirators for entire shifts or days on end.

FDA is essentially using healthcare workers as test subjects who have not given consent.  And the agency is doing little to ensure employers are implementing the decontamination procedures as approved.  Separately, OSHA has said that decontaminated respirators are allowable as a crisis capacity strategy, even though decontamination voids the NIOSH certification.[3]  OSHA will allow any method of decontamination approved by NIOSH regardless of whether FDA has issued an EUA for the method. [4]   We are pushing the three agencies to coordinate and to make clear to hospitals what is allowable and what is not.  Some employers are using whatever equipment they already have on hand to “decontaminate” respirators without any scientific basis. 

What you should know about the FDA emergency use authorizations All six of the EUAs to date (more may be announced) use vaporous hydrogen peroxide to decontaminate N95 and equivalent respirators.  Respirators containing cellulose are not compatible.  The FDA issued letters and instructions linked below.  The companies must provide these instructions to healthcare workers and to the facility. The instructions include instructions on proper procedures, such as ensuring the chain of custody and how many cycles are approved for that system.  Healthcare workers are instructed to use permanent markers to mark the respirators with their name or facility and the number of uses.

Battelle - Battelle is the most common system, as the institution has received a FEMA contract and is operating decon systems in all the states.  Facilities collect the used respirators and ship to a Battelle operations facility. If you know of a hospital that claims to have purchased the Battelle system and is operating it onsite, please let us know.  

Healthcare workers are instructed to use a permanent marker to write a site code and unit code on the respirator to identify the facility and the unit. We have heard that some facilities are making the effort to return the N95s to the individual healthcare worker, but FDA is not requiring that for Battelle.  Unlike all of the other companies, Battelle does not warn that decontaminated respirators are not sterile.

Vaporous hydrogen peroxide, 20 decon cycles, respirator must go back to the same facility, but does not have to go back to the same user


We have provided a sample complaint letter (attached) for your use. We recommend that you mail or fax the letter to the FDA and ask that you provide a copy to AFT Health Issues.  We have had calls with the FDA and will continue to press them for better oversight, as well as withdrawal of any EUA for any dangerous processes. In addition, you may wish to send a copy of the letter to your state department of health.

Thank you for all you do. Have a safe and great holiday weekend!

In Solidarity,

Kelly

Kelly D. Trautner
Director | Health Issues
(Pronouns: she/hers)


If you’d like anything that is listed as an attachment please let me know and I’ll get that to you. 
Be Well,
John


As a reminder, counseling is available to our members through this link. 

Thursday, May 21, 2020

Corona Virus Update 5/21

We are 75 days since our first confirmed case of Covid-19 in Connecticut. We are 2 days into our re-opening.
Hospitalizations are down 71 today to 816
53 more people died (3582)



Nurses, technical professionals, home health aides and healthcare support staff have for two months fought to protect your community during the COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) pandemic. Members of four affiliated unions at L+M Hospital and the Visiting Nurses of Southeastern Connecticut have bravely stood up for us; now they need us to stand with them

They are organizing a rally — though in this era of social distancing it will look and feel different than a typical labor demonstration — and you are invited:

As these brave caregivers have risked their own lives, they've consistently echoed our collective demand for the federal government to do more to provide critical personal protective equipment(PPE). This event is an important escalation in that effort and that's why they need you to join them — and help spread the word in the community.


More to come, and In solidarity,

Bill Garrity, RN
Vice President for Healthcare, AFT Connecticut

John Brady, RN
Vice President, AFT Connecticut

Jan Hochadel
President, AFT Connecticut

Wednesday, May 20, 2020

Corona Virus Update 5/20

I come to you with a heavy heart tonight. Our second AFT Connecticut member, and our first AFT Connecticut Healthcare member, has passed from Covid-19.
Elva GravelineI, a member of Local 5123, a Patient Care Assistant, has passed from this horrible virus. 
On what I had hoped would be a happy day of partial state reopening, we are reminded of the seriousness of this pandemic.
Make no mistake, this virus does not care if you are a democrat or a republican, it does not care if you think it is deadly or it is not, it does not care if you think it is airborne or not, it does not care if you think it hits old and young or both.
It just doesn’t care.

We mourn for our sister as we mourn for our brother Jonathan Coelho, our probation office member who went before her.
Both gave their lives serving us.

I want to share a message I received from a nursing instructor (And AFT CT member) who knew Elva.
“I knew, sadly, that it was only a matter of time before someone I know passed from this disease. Elva was awesome to my nursing students when I was on 5.2 with them. A kind human being. 
Prayers to her friends and family.”



We are 74 days since our first confirmed case of Covid in Connecticut
We are in our first day of a reopening.
3529 have died, 57 today
887 are hospitalized, down 27 from yesterday

Please hug your loved ones, even it that needs to be virtually.
Be well,
John

As a reminder, counseling is available to our members through this link. 


Tuesday, May 19, 2020

Corona Virus Update 5/19

We are 73 days since our first confirmed case of Covid-19 in Connecticut. We have been in lockdown for 58 days and tomorrow we begin a partial a partial reopening. 
Hospitalizations are down 6 today (914)
23 more have died (3472)

My wife Michelle and I took a ride across the border to Rhode Island today and had lunch at a restaurant! RI started opening yesterday. We sat outside at a table separated from others and we kept a mask on (as did staff) except while eating. 
It was glorious!



Below is a poster for a rally (with appropriate social distancing) by our 4 Locals at L&M to call attention to the challenges our front line workers are facing. 



This is a good one page explanation of the Heroes bill that passed the House and now goes to the Senate. Only one republican in the House voted in favor of the bill and since the Senate is under Republican control, it faces a challenge in being passed there. 



If you are a State Employee member, this will be of interest to you.


Our state employee unions' coalition is working to put a human face on those serving on the frontline of the COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) crisis. It is critical that the public hears from those protecting them and continuing to deliver vital services while they have "stayed home and stayed safe." 

Will you record a short video of your experience on a smartphone that we can share on social media

Plan to take 30 seconds right as you wrap up your workday tomorrow to tell the public about your challenges and what you have experienced.Remember — most residents are not seeing the impact COVID-19 is having on state employees. 


When you're done, you can e-mail your video tosebacvideos@gmail.com.

It has never been more important to share our firsthand experience with the public so that they have an accurate picture of the valuable service you deliver. Whether you've been working from home, reporting to a state facility or out in the field during this pandemic, your perspective can help assure a safe “re-opening" of Connecticut.

More to come, and in solidarity,

John Disette
President, A&R Employees Union, AFT Local 4200

Michael Barry
President, Judicial Professional Employees (JPE) Union, AFT Local 4200-B

Ed Leavy
Vice President for Public Employees, AFT Connecticut

Jan Hochadel
President, AFT Connecticut





This is something our very active AFT Retirees are doing, becoming even more effective phone bankers. Our statewide Retiree Local is open to ALL AFT CT retirees, regardless of which Local you are, or were, a member of.
Thank you all again for participating in our Virtual Phone Bank trainings last week. We had a successful turnout and we’d love to continue that going forward.
The Part Two Training will take place this Thursday, May 21 at 4:00 pm Eastern Time.
You can register for the training using this link: https://forms.gle/7DeXkDFXKgReNfWZ7
The Part Two training will last about 1 hour: we plan to quickly review, spend most of the time putting what we’ve learned into action, and then debrief before we conclude for the day.
Once you register for the training, the Zoom links will be sent to you later this week. In the meantime, I am reattaching the materials on the HEROES Act to review before the training. You can also find information on how to set up Google Voice if you wish HERE. 
We are also hosting another session of the Introductory level training the same day at 3:15 pm Eastern Time for anyone who did not participate in it previously. Feel free to share the opportunity it with your fellow members. If anyone is interested, they can  register using the same link: https://forms.gle/7DeXkDFXKgReNfWZ7
Looking forward to seeing you again on Thursday!
In Solidarity, 
Meghan E. Rozarie
Senior Associate, Organization & Field Services, Retiree Program


Be well,
John