Bergen Regional Law Suit Dismissed by Judge

On November 28, U.S. District Court Judge William H. Walls dismissed a law suit filed against HPAE and President Ann Twomey by Bergen Regional Medical Center (BRMC). The suit claimed that HPAE's activities in speaking out for quality patient care at the hospital somehow represented "tortuous interference" with their business operations.

In fact, the suit was designed to silence HPAE, Ann Twomey, and other union leaders. This type of suit is used by corporations and other powerful interests to intimidate those who speak out. The New Jersey legislature is now considering legislation that will severely limit these so-called SLAPP suits - the acronym for Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation.

Judge Walls ruled that HPAE's advocacy of quality patient care and our criticism of BRMC's management practices is protected by our rights under the National Labor Relations Act, a federal law that provides workers with the right to organize unions and to bargain with employers for contracts that cover wages, benefits, and working conditions.

This is a victory not just for HPAE, but for the patients at BRMC and the pubic. Ann Twomey said that,