National Federation of Nurses to Wisconsin Lawmakers: STOP Anti‐Union Legislation That Puts Patients’ Lives in Jeopardy
Contact:
Kiernan
Doherty;
503‐517‐3726;
kdoherty@metgroup.com
MADISON,
Wis.,
March
2,
2011
—
For
the
safety
of
nurses
and
their
patients,
National
Federation
of
Nurses
(NFN) pleads
with
lawmakers
i n
Madison
to
defeat
legislation
that
would
strip
public
employees
of
their
right
to collectively
bargain
for
fair
and
equitable
workplace
conditions. “
This
is
a
matter
of
life
or
death.
If
nurses
can not
come
together
for
safe
equipment
and
working
conditions
in
hospitals
and
other
settings,
than
we’re
not
only
talking
about nurses
leaving
the
job
and
adding
to
the
current
shortage,
we’re
talking
about
patients’ lives
at
risk,”
said
Barbara
Crane,
RN,
president
of
NFN.
Collectively
bargaining
is
more
than
negotiations
about
wages
and
benefits,
it
allows
nurses
to
advocate
for
protections
that
directly
affect
patient
safety
and
care.
This
includes
making
sure
nurses
aren’t
assigned
to
too
many patients
at
once
or
forced
to
work
long,
overtime
hours
that
lead
to
burnt
out
and
make
them
unable
to
effectively
do
their
jobs.
Representing
the
voice
of
nurses,
NFN
leaders
boarded
a
bus
to
Madison
and
marched
in
solidarity
with
teachers,
fire
fighters,
nurses
and
other
public
servants. Crane
spoke
to
thousands
gathered
in
the
Capitol
to
say
that in
addition
to
crippling
our
health
care
system,
this
is
an attack on
workers’
rights,
the
middle
class
and
our
nation’s
democratic
principles
that
must
stop
now.“
We
want
to
stand
with
our
brothers
and
sisters
for
what
we
consider
the
genocide
of the middle
class
of
this
country, and
we’re
not
going to
take
it
anymore!”
Crane
said.“ As
a
nurse, I
know
what
a
code
looks
like,
and
a
code
red
is
happening
at
ground
zero
in
Wisconsin,
and
it’s
got
to
stop
now! ”