News from AFT Nurses and Health Professionals Archive

What the new budget means for healthcare

Under the Republicans’ new budget law, more than 16 million Americans will lose healthcare coverage, tens of millions will have more out-of-pocket costs, and thousands will die unnecessarily because of the law’s Medicaid and Affordable Care Act policies. Check out our healthcare resources and tell Congress to protect affordable access to healthcare. Under the law, cuts to Medicaid will likely force hospitals to close. To make matters worse, the law will trigger more than $500 billion in cuts to Medicare. During a recent episode of “Coffee with the Contrarians,” AFT President Randi Weingarten took stock of “the ugly betrayal bill” signed into law earlier this month. Responding to host Jennifer Rubin, she observed: “It will make Americans sicker, poorer and hungrier.”

Oregon legislature approves workplace violence bill, sends it to governor

The Oregon Legislative Assembly recently passed groundbreaking workplace violence legislation aimed at keeping frontline healthcare workers safe in hospitals as well as home health and hospice settings across Oregon. The bill, S.B. 537, is an update on laws passed in 2007 and 2019. Members of the Oregon Nurses Association worked hard to address members’ concerns about workplace violence and fix gaps in the existing law. The measure, which is awaiting Gov. Tina Kotek’s signature, will take effect Jan. 1, 2026.

Collective bargaining: A worker’s most critical tool

At the AFT’s Collective Bargaining Conference July 23 in Washington, D.C., AFT President Randi Weingarten argued that collective bargaining is not only an essential tool for securing better wages and working conditions, but also for enshrining civil rights and defending our basic freedoms at a time when they are under assault.

Resource pool nurses vote to join the union

In another victory for healthcare organizing, more than 200 resource pool nurses working at Legacy hospitals in Oregon and Washington voted July 8 to join the Oregon Nurses Association. Resource pool nurses “float” between Legacy’s hospitals to fill vacancies in specialty units, including hospital emergency departments, operating rooms, family birth centers, pediatric care centers, behavioral health departments and more.

Calling for stronger heat protections as workers face climate change

The AFT is asking the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to develop a strong, enforceable national standard to safeguard workers from the growing threat of excessive heat as record-breaking temperatures sear cities and towns all over the country. On June 26, five AFT leaders spoke before OSHA on a virtual panel and told riveting, personal stories. They made it plain that no one should have to work in dangerous heat, whether they are inside or outside. The proposed regulation from OSHA, Heat Injury and Illness Prevention in Outdoor and Indoor Work Settings, would require employers to make heat safety plans and take reasonable efforts to protect workers from hazardous heat. The panelists said the stakes are high and the time is now to safeguard all workers who are exposed to heat on the job.

AFT Disaster Relief Fund for Gaza humanitarian aid

Nearly every person in Gaza needs urgent humanitarian assistance. Two million Palestinians have been displaced, and the entire population is facing dire food insecurity. According to UNICEF, 80 percent of those who have died from malnutrition during this war were children. This is an immediate crisis that requires our intervention. You can donate to the AFT Disaster Relief Fund for Gaza humanitarian aid.

9 things to protect education and democracy

Nine things you can do to help save democracy

Medicaid; the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program; scientific research; diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives; and access to higher education—so much of what we hold dear—are under attack. What can we do? Plenty. Here are nine actions you can take right now to fight back, protect education and help save democracy.