Today is 99 days since our first confirmed case of Covid in Connecticut.
We’ve had 3 deaths in the last 24 hours, our lowest daily number in almost 3 months. That being said, 4,203 have died.
Hospitalizations are down to 203 at this time.
AFT calls ourselves “A union of professionals,” but perhaps in this Covid world we should be called “A union of essential workers.” From healthcare workers, to teachers and paraprofessionals, to public servants, we truly are essential. The Heroes Act will fund the work we do, by decreases in funding for towns, states, and Medicaid funding, which can directly harm hospitals and healthcare members. It has passed the House but the Senate refuses to take it up. Please watch this 30 second video and then contact your senator, even if you live in a blue state with great senators like Blumenthal and Murphy. I asked Representative Joe Courtney if it matter since we know our senators support the act and he said it still does help. He said the sheer volume of calls coming to Washington makes a difference.
BTW, a part of the HEREOS Act is a call for OSHA to enact a mandatory emergency standard on Covid.
We’ve had 3 deaths in the last 24 hours, our lowest daily number in almost 3 months. That being said, 4,203 have died.
Hospitalizations are down to 203 at this time.
AFT calls ourselves “A union of professionals,” but perhaps in this Covid world we should be called “A union of essential workers.” From healthcare workers, to teachers and paraprofessionals, to public servants, we truly are essential. The Heroes Act will fund the work we do, by decreases in funding for towns, states, and Medicaid funding, which can directly harm hospitals and healthcare members. It has passed the House but the Senate refuses to take it up. Please watch this 30 second video and then contact your senator, even if you live in a blue state with great senators like Blumenthal and Murphy. I asked Representative Joe Courtney if it matter since we know our senators support the act and he said it still does help. He said the sheer volume of calls coming to Washington makes a difference.
BTW, a part of the HEREOS Act is a call for OSHA to enact a mandatory emergency standard on Covid.
Take Action
- Write a letter and tell your Senator to fund state & local governments
- Call your Senator and use these sample talking points
- Congress has not done nearly enough to provide state and local governments with the funding they need to continue to deliver quality public services.
- If we see massive layoffs because we don’t get state and local aid, there will be extreme cuts to public services with catastrophic effects. Entire communities will suffer both from a public health and economic perspective.
- We can’t fight this pandemic or reopen the economy without strong public services and public service workers to deliver critical services.
- We continue to put our lives on the line every day to serve our communities. We do it because we love our jobs and care about helping people, and I don’t think anyone believes we deserve to be laid off.
Key Funding Components of the HEROES Act for Connecticut
The coronavirus has wreaked unprecedented havoc on the lives of the American people. Our economy, our schools, our jobs and our way of life have been disrupted. To recover from this pandemic, safely reopen our schools, and allow people to safely return to work to restore our economy, we must maintain critical state and local services, such as law enforcement, education and healthcare.
We need Connecticut’s senators to support critical pieces of the House-passed HEROES Act in the next COVID-19 relief bill:
• At least $100 billion for public K-12 education and public colleges and universities to reopen safely and to account for the unanticipated, increased costs of operating schools in a COVID-19 environment. Reopening schools and colleges while keeping students and staff safe will take more, not fewer, resources, especially as students will return to school with significant academic, social and emotional needs. Connecticut would receive $843 million in education funding if the Senate passed the HEROES Act. The K-12 portion of these funds would provide Connecticut $548.3 million. That’s enough to save or restore the positions of 2,181 teachers, 764 teacher aides and 1,483 other workers.
• $500 billion for state aid and $350 billion for local aid that funds the services that retain our EMTs, public safety officers, teachers and school workers, sanitation workers, homecare providers, and other frontline public service workers who are essential to fighting this pandemic and reopening our economy. They have been there for us, and they are a critical part of our recovery, as well as keeping our communities safe and livable. Connecticut would receive $7.1 billion in direct aid to states and $4.8 billion in direct aid to local governments if the Senate passed the HEROES Act.
• $175 billion for the health and safety of our frontline providers and the American people. We need widespread testing, contact tracing, adequate PPE supplies, relief for affected families, and expansion of Medicaid to ensure that vulnerable populations are treated to stop the spread of the virus. Connecticut would receive $1.9 billion in Medicaid funding through the HEROES Act.
Our states, cities, towns and public schools continue to anchor America’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic by keeping communities safe, limiting the spread of the virus and supporting our children. The Senate must act now to fund these essential services that are at the heart of our recovery and our ability to reopen our economy. Eighty-four percent of Americans support increased federal aid to protect healthcare, education, safety and other services and keep frontline workers on the job.
Education Opportunity
The COVID-19 pandemic has laid out to bare the health inequities for people of color more than in any recent times. At the same time, nurses and healthcare workers have been working in stressful and unsafe conditions throughout the pandemic—traumatic experiences which can lead to depression and anxiety. For black and brown nurses and healthcare workers, the intersection of racism and traumatic work experiences can mean heightened overwhelm and anxiety.
Please join us for a webinar discussion specifically for healthcare workers led by licensed clinical psychologist, L. Kevin Chapman, Ph.D., A-CBT, HSPP, and moderated by Alexis Rean-Walker, Secretary-Treasurer of Health Professionals and Allied Employees in New Jersey and member of the AFT NHP Health Equity workgroup. Attendees will have the opportunity to share their experiences; learn the components of emotions and how to identify triggers to emotional experiences; and will learn tools and strategies to assist in coping.
One nursing continuing education contact hour will be provided- only to AFT member attendees.
Register in advance for this meeting: https://aft.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJwocO6rpjwtHtEi_Zja2EABUfrP-zzqbB97
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
ACCREDITED PROVIDER:
· American Federation of Teachers/Nurses and Health Professionals is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation.
· Provider approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider Number CEP for 17108 contact hours.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST:
· There has been no commercial support of this program and the presenters declare there is no conflict of interest.
OUTCOMES:
· At the completion of the webinar, nurses will report more self-confidence in identifying emotional triggers and the ability to manage emotions in response to racial injustices and the pandemic.
SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION:
· The learner must attend 100% of the session. After the learner has completed the session, a certificate of attendance, program evaluation/survey must be completed.
CONTACT HOURS:
· Contact hours awarded for 100% of activity attendance and successful completion of a program evaluation.
Be well,
John
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