Our Christmas Gift

 When I reflect on the birth of Jesus, many thoughts come to mind.  The circumstances of his birth in a stable and his need to flee with his family to a foreign country to avoid danger. There are so many parallels today. 

But what is most important to me is his decisions about how to live his life and the examples he set for me. 

He did not seek wealth or fame. He spent is public adult life with a small group of close friends, sharing friendship, food and drink with them and teaching them a gospel of love, of tolerance, and of service. He accepted the outcasts of his day, the tax collectors, the prostitutes, the sinners. He asked that these close friends spread his message. As one of his last lessons, he washed the feet of his students, showing that true leadership means service to others. 

He taught us how to live (if we pay attention to his lessons) I think that is his greatest gift to us. 

Safe staffing in Connecticut

 Over the past several months, a core group of AFT CT staff, leaders (including our AFT state and national presidents) and members have worked on safe staffing legislation here in CT. 

The short story is this- WE WERE SUCCESSFUL!

The long story is interesting and educational. 

At the beginning of the legislative session, we sat with the chairs of the Public Health Committee and presented what would become SB 1067. With their help we had a public hearing and something like 71+ members testified, submitted testimony, showed up for the press conference launching the effort, or the lobby day to push it. 

We worked with the CT Nurses Association and a grassroots nurses group, CT NU, as well legislators from both parties, the governor’s office and agency people, I cannot say enough about the commitment and expertise of AFT CT local  leaders and staff. If ever my philosophy of surrounding myself with intelligent and dedicated people was doubted, this experience should end that discussion. 

And then…

Our bill died in committee. 

The result of the work of a few non believers. 

But it was resurrected in the budget implementer, it passed with bipartisan support, and it was signed by the governor. 

It is now law. 

Staffing Committees in hospitals will no longer be something that exists only on paper. Staffing Committees will be a comprised of a majority of bedside nurses and they will determine the plan, including ratios, because they will need to develop and approve any plan. 

This legislation will increase retention, recruitment and patient safety. 

Thank you everyone who played a part.

Details can be found here. Pertinent sections are 54 & 55

SB 1067 Save Staffing Legislation

This came up as a FB memory from 9 years ago. 

Unsafe staffing is not new, it was not caused by Covid, and it is not caused by a “nursing shortage.” 

It is a result of the decisions of hospital administrators.

 The status quo is not acceptable. 

SB 1067 sets minimum staffing standards and gives hospital administrators 5 more years to hit them. Ambulances will not back up in parking lots and floors will not shut down. 

Nurses will step up, as we always have, but SB 1067 will force hospital administrators to be part of the solution instead of part of the problem. 

Tell legislators to support SB1067 

 

All I want for Christmas (for Healthcare Heroes)

 The greatest holiday gift we could give our “healthcare heroes” this year is a concerted effort to improve working conditions. Our nurses and other healthcare professionals are worn out, and that is bad for them, and for patients. AFT Nurses & Health Professionals has completed a staffing shortage task force report, with the input of experts in the field and thousands of experts at the bedside, our dedicated members. AFT Connecticut will hold a press conference on January 9 to present this report which will guide our efforts to improve conditions. I hope you can join us. Confirmed speakers so far include AFT - American Federation of Teachers president Randi Weingarten and State Senator M Saud Anwar deputy president and co-chair of the Committee on Public Health. 

The report and links to the press conference can be found at http://aftct.org/23_Safe_Pt_Care_PC 

Our report gives us a roadmap of proven strategies, including:

* Improving recruitment (and diversity in the workforce), with strategies like high school career and techinical education programs, apprenticeships and nurses bridge programs;

* Expanding targeted financial aid and loan repayment programs, including the National Health Service Corps and the Nurse Faculty Loan Program;

* Enacting federal and state laws mandating safe staffing ratios for the whole care team, putting safe staffing requirements into governmental regulations, and negotiating safe staffing levels into collective bargaining agreements;

* Banning mandatory overtime through a wide-ranging approach: federal and state legislation, regulation and collective bargaining agreements;

* Pushing Congress to pass the federal Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act, and working with legislatures on greater safety protections;

* Pushing for pandemic protections in federal law, such as an Occupational Safety and Health Administration standard and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services emergency preparedness rule;

* Advocating for funding and programs to support health professionals' mental health;

* Working at the federal and state levels to increase oversight of mergers and acquisitions in the healthcare industry, including the impact on patient care;

* Making shared governance part of the collective bargaining agreement -- like the partnership between Kaiser Permanente and our Oregon Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals and other unions; &

* Last but far from least, championing the right for healthcare workers to form unions, and fighting employer union-busting tactics.

Connecticut AFL-CIO CT Senate Democrats #DoBetter #healthcareheroes

Windham Nurse’s Strike

 Our AFT Connecticut AFT Nurses & Health Professionals Windham Hospital Unions United Windham Hospital Registered Nurses Local 5041 and Windham United local 5099 have ended their 2 day Unfair Labor Practice strike/picket and returned to the bedside (where they prefer to be). I want to congratulate both locals on a successful strike/picket and show of solidarity. 

Your ability of come together in solidarity exceeded my expectations and I congratulate you and your leadership teams. 

Now it is up to Hartford HealthCare to come back to the negotiations table and bargain in good faith. 

The “unofficial anthem” of the past 2 days seems to have been the song Where not Gonna Take It

Whoa-whoa, we're not gonna take it

No, we ain't gonna take it

We're not gonna take it anymore

We're not gonna take it

No, we ain't gonna take it

We're not gonna take it anymore

No way!

It seems fitting. 

Thank you everyone for your support of our members.