Sisters and Brothers,
It’s been a busy year for our union’s health care sector, and I want to thank you all for your hard work.
The Health Care Conference that took place in April was a huge success, bringing together nearly 200 union activists from across our diverse sector. We were able to share ideas and information about some of our most pressing concerns including burnout, workplace safety, staffing, and more.
Now, with the help of our district health care coordinators, we’re looking for ways to make the information from the conference even more widely available, especially for those who were not able to join us in Lexington.
Many of you bargained new contracts this year, and I want to commend all of you for your solidarity and commitment. Whether you’re in a small unit or a huge local, bargaining a strong contract requires focus and dedication from every member. You rose to this challenge.
We’ll have plenty of opportunities in the new year to keep up the fight for better working conditions across the sector.
In particular, we’ll need your help spreading the word about the Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act, legislation which directs OSHA to create an enforceable safety standard for the industry and will likely be reintroduced into the House of Representatives after Democrats assume control.
We’ll keep you posted with ways you can contact your congressperson to support this important bill.
Until then, I hope you and your families have a safe and happy holiday season!
In solidarity,
Fred Redmond