2004: Over 5,000
HPAE Members 
Unite to Win New Contacts

Negotiations 2004: Coming Together as "One Voice"

This spring thousands of health care workers in New Jersey will be standing together to create one powerful voice to bring about changes in their working conditions and in the care they provide their patients.

Ten HPAE contracts covering over 5,000 HPAE members will expire over the next few months; most of these on May 31st. 

During this period, these health care workers will be uniting as one to make sure their hospitals are adequately staffed so that quality patient care can be guaranteed.

In addition, these workers will be fighting to set new and higher standards in wages, pensions and other benefits for health care workers. Their goal is to attract and retain workers in the health care field as a critical remedy to the current shortstaffing crisis that has compromised the delivery of quality patient care. 

With the prediction that the current shortage of professional health care workers in New Jersey is only going to get worse, something must be done now. 

Changes must be made in the wages and benefits of health care workers in order to attract and keep caregivers working at New Jersey’s hospitals and health care facilities - otherwise the quality of patient care will continue to be compromised.

Safe staffing legislation must be implemented as law to assure that patients will get the quality care they deserve, and health care professionals won’t be forced to work in unsafe, understaffed facilities.

This year, over 5,000 HPAE health care professionals plan to be the driving force that brings these changes about at their workplaces through one, unified effort.

HPAE’s Contract Bargaining Committee (CBC)
In order to better coordinate local contract n