Exposed and At-Risk
Don’t get fooled by fake hospital masks: A guide on how to tell
Since the Fall 2020, healthcare workers have been reporting to HPAE concerns over highly suspicious ill-fitting, misshapen, sometimes torn and, often, odd-smelling “3M” masks they are being given by their employers while providing care for patients during a pandemic outbreak. Workers have reported to their employers that it is difficult to get proper seal with these masks to ensure they are fully protected. As it turns out, the nation is inundated with fake respirator masks. Here is a guide on how to tell whether the masks you’ve been provided is potentially counterfeit.
HPAE July 2020 White Paper: A real-time exposition on the impact of the pandemic on healthcare workers
A deadly viral pandemic was raging and our healthcare workers—our first lines of defense—were feeling vulnerable and disposable. HPAE conducted a survey of 1,100 members. They gave us a frontline picture of the shortcomings of the pandemic response and the impact those gaps had on not only the workers, but on the care they provided and on the public’s safety. You can see the report here.
News
HPAE Statement on hospitals mandating healthcare workers vaccination
Healthcare workers—including HPAE members—have been on the front lines taking care of patients sick from COVID-19, its variants and after-effects of the disease.
Labor Department Issues Emergency Rules to Protect Health Care Workers From Covid
Labor Department officials on Thursday announced a temporary emergency standard to protect health care workers, saying they face “grave danger” in the workplace from the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
HPAE Statement on New OSHA ETS
Throughout the pandemic, more needed to be done to protect healthcare workers and other essential workers, many of whom are women, people of color and immigrants, who put their lives on the line every day in the past year.
Hospitals Struggle To Steer Clear Of Counterfeit Masks
Federal agents and others have seized more than 11 million counterfeit masks, including the N95 masks used in hospitals. What are some indicators of a fake mask?
DHS seizes over 11 million counterfeit 3M N95 masks, more raids to come (video)
The Department of Homeland Security on Wednesday announced that it seized more than 11 million counterfeit 3M N95 respirator masks that were destined for frontline health-care workers.
Counterfeit N95 Scam Widens as Senator Demands FTC Investigation
A key U.S. senator is calling on the Federal Trade Commission to investigate N95 mask fraud and federal agents announced the seizure of 1.7 million more counterfeit 3M masks in the New York borough of Queens as the breadth of
’The worst of the worst’: Massive counterfeit N95 mask operation busted in Queens warehouse
A Queens warehouse manager was busted after investigators discovered his building was filled with millions of counterfeit N95 masks, prosecutors said Thursday.
Health Workers and Hospitals Grapple With Millions of Counterfeit N95 Masks
Thousands of counterfeit 3M respirators have slipped past U.S. investigators in recent months, making it to the cheeks and chins of health care workers and perplexing experts who say their quality is not vastly inferior to the real thing.
After lobbyists step in, a health workers’ COVID transparency bill is gutted. How it changed
Hospital lobbyists met with the bill’s primary sponsor and legislative aides several times last year pushing for changes to the bill that would have required daily reporting on the Department of Health’s website of COVID’s impact on health care workers..
Hospitals, nursing homes will have to track COVID cases, death among its workforce under new N.J. law
Hospitals, surgery centers, long-term care facilities and home healthcare agencies must collect the number of COVID-19 cases and fatalities among their employees and report them on a bimonthly basis to the state Department of Health.
HPAE Statement on Gov. Murphy signing the COVID-19 Workplace Data law
HPAE healthcare workers applaud Governor Murphy's insistence that frontline caregivers need to be at the front of the vaccine line, so they can continue to safely provide care for COVID-19 patients.
Hospital Excellence
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, New Jersey healthcare institutions and employees deliver award-winning, high-quality services.
COVID vaccine ‘isn’t the flu shot’: Vaccinators explain why NJ rollout is slow
Demand far outstrips supply currently. The state has been allocated far fewer doses than the number of people who want them. More than a million have registered for the vaccine at covidvaccine.nj.gov, while about 600,000 vaccine doses have been received
HPAE Statement on Gov. Murphy’s 2021 State-of-the-State Address
The vision the governor laid out today in his state-of-the-state address is a continuation of his steadfast leadership of New Jersey in a time of global pandemic that has hit New Jersey particularly hard.
COVID vaccine acceptance high among NJ hospital workers. Here’s how many have gotten shots
For hospitals, the first New Jersey institutions to inject the COVID vaccine into the arms of their employees, the rollout has been an emotional experience and a logistical challenge. They’ve engineered new websites, carved out space and redeployed staff.
Camden County prepares first COVID-19 vaccination center (video)
The only thing missing? Vaccines. Now that health care workers, nursing home residents and first responders are being inoculated against the coronavirus, the state is well into the first phase of the vaccine program.
‘It decimated our staff’: Covid ravages Black and brown health workers in US
Covid-19 has taken an outsized toll on Black and Hispanic Americans – and those disparities extend to medical workers
HPAE Statement on NJHA requiring its members to collect workplace COVID data
We are pleased to hear that the New Jersey Hospital Association has finally agreed to collect data on the number of healthcare workers who have contracted COVID.
N.J. hospitals, nursing homes could soon be required to report COVID-19 cases, fatalities among workers
The coronavirus has infected 419,000 people in New Jersey and claimed the lives of at least 16,200, according to state data. Nurses, doctors and other medical professionals are among the tally, but no one is keeping track of just how
HPAE statement on Healthcare workers workplace COVID exposure data bill
HPAE’s 14,000 members are grateful to our legislators for passing a law mandating that hospitals track and report data regarding coronavirus infection among hospital workers to the Department of Health.
Meet the nurse who was the first person in N.J. to get a COVID-19 vaccine
Beniquez was the first of 80 healthcare workers slated to receive their first dose of the vaccine at University Hospital on Tuesday, the beginning of the state’s latest chapter in fighting a virus that has killed more than 17,000 of
HPAE Statements on UH nurse receiving the first COVID-19 vaccine
Healthcare workers have faced greater risks and rates of exposure throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. We are grateful that an HPAE nurse, working in the Emergency Room at University Hospital, was the first to be vaccinated in New Jersey.
Statement of President Debbie White, RN, before the NJ Assembly Appropriations Committee, Tuesday, December 15, 2020
I am here today to speak to A.4129 sponsored by Assemblyman Spearman which will track data on healthcare workers who are exposed, fallen ill and have died due to COVID-19. While we are not pleased with the amendments to the
NJ.com Special Report: Crossroads of a plague
The worst pandemic in a century has ravaged Newark and its Black community. It was a tragedy decades in the making.
Union wants New Jersey hospitals to report employee COVID-19 infections
As the number of COVID-19 cases surge in the Garden State, front line medical workers are also getting sick. And now, a health care workers union is calling on the state to track hospital outbreaks (video).
Murphy indicates he could make info on COVID outbreaks among hospital staff public
The Murphy administration may step in to force hospitals to report COVID-19 outbreaks among staff as legislation requiring the public disclosure remains stalled in the state capital.
No one knows how many N.J. medical workers have COVID-19. That needs to change, nurses union says.
Health Professionals and Allied Employees, the union that represents 14,000 nurses in New Jersey, called on the state Monday to change that and require hospitals to track sick workers.
Healthcare workers demand changes to NJ COVID Daily Dashboard and call on lawmakers to hold hospitals accountable for healthcare workers COVID-19 outbreaks
Healthcare workers and allies joined HPAE President Debbie White, RN, at a news conference on Monday to call on the state of New Jersey to report the number of COVID positive healthcare workers in hospitals and to hold the industry
Should NJ hospitals be required to tell public about staff COVID-19 outbreaks?
The scope of staff sickness, absence and deaths at New Jersey hospitals due to COVID-19 remains unknown nine months into the pandemic, despite concerns that a reduced workforce may hamper the hospitals’ ability to absorb a rising wave of sick patients.
NJ Hospitals Dealing With COVID-19 Outbreaks Among Staff
As many as 40 employees at Palisades Medical Center have gotten sick from COVID-19 and more than 100 employees at Ocean Medical Center have also tested positive. NBC New York’s Gilma Avalos reports (video)
COVID-19 outbreak at Palisades Medical Center prompts ER diversions, patient transfers
About 30 to 40 employees at Palisades Medical Center in North Bergen have tested positive for COVID-19, forcing the hospital to transfer some patients and divert ambulances to other emergency rooms, according to a union official and a hospital executive.
New Jersey 7-day COVID average highest since outbreak began (video)
"It feels as if we are on a railroad track watching a speeding train hurtling toward us, knowing it will eventually hit us," said HPAE President Debbie White, RN. "What is quickly becoming clear to us is that this surge
As COVID-19 surges in N.J., frontline workers are calling it quits: ‘I don’t want to gamble with my life.’
Michele Burlington survived the first wave of the coronavirus on the front lines, working in a hospital’s packed COVID-19 unit. But she wasn’t going to risk the second wave. Even if it meant giving up her career of 42 years.
Virtua hospital in clash with staff over request to work with COVID-19
Health Commissioner Judy Persichilli says complaint by union is under investigation
HPAE Statement on COVID-19 resurgence concerns
A second COVID-19 surge is now upon us here in New Jersey. It feels as if we are on a railroad track watching a speeding train hurtling toward us, knowing it will eventually hit us. Cases are trending up so
In NJ, wary health care workers want more data on COVID-19 vaccine
Frontline workers are in line to receive the first round of an estimated 100,000 vaccine doses (video).
‘How do you ever truly recover from seeing so much death?’ Anguished nurses face the pandemic’s second wave
The state reported 3,207 new cases Saturday — the highest number of daily positive tests since April 27, around the peak of the initial outbreak — and 1,392 hospitalizations, the most since June 11.
N.J. hospitals are better at treating COVID-19. But are they ready for a second wave?
Still, some officials fear a lack of PPE if another wave occurs. Debbie White, the president of the Health Professionals and Allied Employees, a union representing 14,000 nurses and front-line caregivers statewide, said PPE shortages remain a concern.
HPAE President Debbie White interviewed in NJ Spotlight about rising COVID-19 census
No one anticipates the same surge of patients that flooded hospitals last spring, but health care leaders in New Jersey said they are taking steps to ensure proper resources are in place to care for rising numbers of coronavirus cases
A new wave of coronavirus is coming to N.J. Here’s why things might be different this time around.
Since before the state got the first coronavirus crisis under control, health experts and government officials have been warning of a second wave. They weren’t exactly sure when it would come, but they were sure that it would.
Two Hudson hospitals are cited, fined by OSHA for COVID-19 violations
Two hospitals in Hudson County have been cited by a federal agency for COVID-19 related health and safety violations, officials said.
OSHA fines 14 NJ hospitals, nursing homes for lack of PPE and other failures during COVID
Fourteen health care institutions in New Jersey, including hospitals, nursing homes and an ambulance company, have been cited by the federal Occupational Health and Safety Administration for failing to provide enough equipment and other protections...
Employer Safety Violation List
HPAE will post all relevant documents here. If you have any concerns regarding safety protocols in your workplace, please contact your local officers or HPAE staff representative.
Emergency room worker leaves void at hospital after Covid death
The halls of the Hackensack Meridian Health Palisades Medical Center in North Bergen, New Jersey, do not sound the same without Nancy Martell’s voice echoing down the corridor — a morning staple there for 18 years.
Second Covid-19 wave could turn cracks in the hospital system into ‘earthquakes’
There were 300 patients being treated for Covid-19, filling hospital rooms and spilling out into the halls of the emergency room. The trauma center, once used for gunshot wounds and car crash victims, was now filled with people on ventilators.
University Hospital helped during COVID-19. Now, we need to support this facility.
University Hospital in Newark was front and center as the premier academic medical center responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. The hospital performed the function it always has for our state: it cared for and treated everyone who walked in through
Essential workers who have coronavirus get help with benefits (video)
During the health emergency, essential workers no longer have to prove they contracted the coronavirus on the job to qualify for workers’ compensation benefits. Gov. Phil Murphy signed it into law Monday, retroactive to March 9.
HPAE President Debbie White, RN, thanks Gov. Murphy for signing into law Workers’ Compensation Reform for Essential Workers who Contract COVID-19
In the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare workers who were exposed, infected and sickened by the virus faced an additional worry: whether they would qualify for workers' compensation benefits.
Hackensack Meridian fined for COVID-19 mask violations at nursing home
A Hackensack Meridian nursing home was cited by federal regulators for failing to give its nursing staff the proper masks to treat COVID-19 residents near the height of the pandemic, according to documents released Thursday.
OSHA issues citations against Hackensack Meridian for COVID-19 violations following investigation of long-term care worker death
This action by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is the first citation of its kind nationwide during the COVID-19 pandemic.
NJ Could Be First In East Coast To Let Undocumented Immigrants Get Professional Licenses (Audio)
New Jersey licenses more than 200 professions including boxers, manicurists, electricians, nurses, and teachers. But most applications ask for a social security number or work authorization (Listen to the interview with HPAE First VP Barb Rosen).
NJ doctors fear patients put off crucial care over COVID fears
Across the Jersey Shore, emergency rooms remain half empty. Hospital outpatient wings are abnormally quiet as demand for testing and nonemergency surgeries remain well below normal, doctors say.
COVID what’s next: Have NJ nursing homes made enough changes to guard against second wave?
COVID-19 killed tens of thousands in the Northeast, caused massive unemployment and wrecked the economy. In an ongoing series of stories, the USA TODAY Network Atlantic Group examines what the government got wrong in its response to the virus, what policies eventually
Report released by NJ nurses says many are on their own to get protective equipment (audio link)
New Jersey’s largest health care workers union has released a study that looks into the stress of treating COVID-19 patients while fighting for the proper equipment to do it. The Health Professionals and Allied Employees Union surveyed over 1,100 of
Testimony of HPAE Secretary-Treasurer Alexis Rean-Walker in Support of A. 4225
NJ Assembly Judiciary Committee Statement of Alexis Rean-Walker, HPAE Secretary-Treasurer In support of A.4255 Monday, July 20, 2020 Good Morning Chairman Mukherji and the members of Assembly Judiciary Committee. My name is Alexis Rean-Walker, Secretary-Treasurer of HPAE, representing 14,0000 nurses
HPAE releases “Exposed & At-Risk,” a report on how COVID-19 pandemic affected New Jersey healthcare workers
by Insidernj.com In a new HPAE report released today, union members offer real-time first-hand accounts of caring for patients on the COVID-19 pandemic frontlines while battling employers for personal protective equipment (PPE) and other resources to do their life-saving work. HPAE
‘We feel disposable’: NJ nurses’ union cites lack of protection during coronavirus pandemic
Lack of proper protective masks and face shields, inadequate training in their use and lax government enforcement of safety requirements caused hundreds of front-line health workers in New Jersey to fall sick with coronavirus infection as the pandemic slammed health care facilities in recent months, the state’s largest health care union said Monday.
NJ nurses union decries hospital, state response to pandemic as unprepared
Lawmakers are hoping to boost oversight and coordination between hospitals and state health officials amid a lull for New Jersey in the COVID-19 pandemic, as a Monday report from the state’s nurses’ union flags what it says was a total
Statement of Debbie White, RN and President, on Governor Murphy’s Executive Order to Require Face Masks in Outdoor Settings When Social Distancing is Not Possible
After several months of battling the virus, healthcare workers applaud Governor Murphy's Executive Order requiring a face mask when social distancing is not possible.
Hospital nurses picket over contract impasse, coronavirus concerns
Nurses at Salem Medical Center in Mannington Township held an informational picket in front of the hospital Thursday to highlight what they describe as a lack of progress in contract negotiations.
Nurses on the COVID-19 pandemic frontlines to demand protections and recognition for their heroic efforts
Nurses at Southern Ocean and Jersey Shore University Medical Centers will hold informational pickets to protest lack of progress in bargaining new contract with Hackensack Meridian Health.
Nurses union authorizes strike vote amid strain over working conditions in coronavirus crisis
As the coronavirus pandemic continues to burden the healthcare system, a union representing 1,500 nurses at two shore hospitals took the first step Friday toward authorizing a strike should contract negotiations with Hackensack Meridian Health fail.
Jersey Shore and Southern Ocean Nurses Overwhelmingly Authorized Bargaining Committees to Strike
Nurses saving lives on the COVID-19 pandemic frontlines at two HMH hospitals are renegotiating a collective bargaining agreement that expires at month’s end.
Fed-up health care workers allege N.J. hospital is putting their lives at risk
Health care workers at a New Jersey hospital fear for their safety, alleging the facility has failed to protect them from infection while treating COVID-19 patients.
Nurses at Jersey Shore and Southern Ocean Ratify New Contracts with Hackensack Meridian Health – Gains Made Amid Dozens of Proposed Cutbacks
On Thursday, December 13, 2018, Registered Nurses with the Health Professionals and Allied Employees (HPAE), at Jersey Shore University Medical Center (JSUMC) and Southern Ocean Medical Center (SOMC), ratified new 22-month contracts with Hackensack-Meridian Health.
Southern Ocean Medical Center Nurses Reach Contract Agreement with Hackensack Meridian Health
The nurses at Southern Ocean Medical Center reached a tentative agreement recently with Hackensack Meridian Health.
Hackensack Meridian hospital nurses close to resolving bitter contract dispute
Nurses from Jersey Shore University Medical Center and Southern Ocean Medical Center have reached a tentative deal on a new contract, union officials said Thursday night.
HPAE Nurses at JSUMC and SOMC Reach Tentative Agreement with Hackensack Meridian Health
Nearly 2,500 nurses and health professionals across the health system bargained with HMH administration since late spring.
Nurses Overwhelmingly Vote Yes
Unionized nurses at Southern Ocean Medical Center (SOMC) rejected an attempt to eliminate their union rights with a landslide victory vote on November 13 and 14.
Community Members Deliver a Message of Support for Nurses Fighting for Safe Staffing Levels
Unionized nurses at Southern Ocean Medical Center were greeted by community members who gathered in support of their fight to protect patient safety at their hospital.
We’re Voting YES For Our Union!
We're standing together to say YES to our union! The protections in our contract allow us to fulfill our duty as patient advocates.
Health professionals ratify new contract with Hackensack Meridian which advances patient safety, preserves workers’ rights
After seven months of bargaining with Hackensack Meridian Health, nurses and health professionals at Palisades Medical Center have ratified a three-year contract.
Union Re-certification Election: What to know before we vote
A Board Agent will administer an election on Tuesday, November 13th: 6:00 pm- 9:00 pm and Wednesday, November 14th: 6:00 am – 9:30 am and 10:30 am – 5:30 pm
Southern Ocean Medical Center Nurses Union Suffers Setback
Last week it was reported that Health Professionals and Allied Employees Local 5138, had scored a victory when the National Labor Relations Board threw out a petition calling for a decertification election at the hospital.
Nurses and Health Professionals at Palisades Medical Center Reach Tentative Agreement with Hackensack Meridian
After six months of negotiations a tentative agreement has been reached between HPAE Local 5030 at Palisades Medical Center with Hackensack Meridian Health (HMH).
Nurses are Confident Majority Will Vote to Keep Their Union
Worker intimidation and anti-union tactics are attempts to silence Nurses in Manahawkin.
Overwhelming Majority of HPAE Nurses Are Standing with Their Union to Fight for Patient Safety and Workers’ Rights
Negotiations between Hackensack Meridian Health and HPAE have been tenuous as 2,500 represented are fighting to put an end to intimidation tactics in their workplace and to demand safe patient limits in the interest of patient and worker safety.
Local 5030 Update – October 3: Stay Strong! Stay United!
In recent weeks, members have spoken out in a variety of ways for safe staffing and a fair contract. We held an informational picket last Thursday and released a powerful staffing video to the public.
HPAE: Hackensack Meridian is Orchestrating Decertification Effort at Southern Ocean Medical Center with Anti-Union Tactics
The Health Professionals and Allied Employees accused Hackensack Meridian Health today of illegally orchestrating a union decertification effort using aggressive anti-union tactics that will ultimately fail.
Health professionals call on Hackensack Meridian to commit to patient safety and workplace protections
Health professional held an informational picket outside of Palisades Medical Center to call on Hackensack Meridian Health to protect patient safety by committing to safe patient limits and put a stop to anti-union tactics that attempt to intimidate.
HPAE local 5058 and local 5138 bargaining update, September 25
On Sunday, union nurses picketed again in Neptune, showing strength and resolve in our fight for a contract we’ll be proud to ratify.
Nurses, Health Professionals to Speak Out for Patient Safety and Workers’ Rights
Informational Pickets Planned outside of Hackensack Meridian
Watch the video & stand with HPAE locals at HMH
Health professionals speak out to protect their patients, and as a union we go beyond the walls of our facility to help our communities understand the risks and incidents that occur when we are caring for too many patients.
Workers at The Harborage ratify contract with HMH
Nursing home workers at The Harborage, Hackensack Meridian Health’s long-term care facility in North Bergen, ratified a new three-year labor contract, according to statement issued late Wednesday by HMH.
Southern Ocean Medical Center Nurses Still Working With No Contract
Approximately 300 Southern Ocean Medical Center nurses are still working without a contract with SOMC’s parent company, Hackensack Meridian Health, after the one-year deal expired at the end of July.
Picket for Staffing: Local 5030 Bargaining Update, September 17
Join the Picket!: Tell HMH to put patients before profit. Stand strong with our union sisters and brothers on the picket line on Thursday, Sept. 27 from 2-5pm outside the hospital.
HPAE nursing home workers reach tentative agreement with HMH
Nursing Home Workers reach a tentative agreement with Hackensack Meridian, hospital colleagues continue bargaining against NJ’s wealthiest non-profit healthcare corporation
Local 5030 Negotiations Update, September 6, 2018 (video)
A brief message from your HPAE negotiating team.
Union pickets at Palisades Medical Center, three other Hackensack Meridian locations
With negotiations for new contracts stalled, union health workers on Wednesday picketed outside Palisades Medical Center and its nursing home, as well as two other hospitals in the Hackensack Meridian Health system. Car and truck horns blared on River Road
Hackensack Meridian Healthcare Workers: Hospital Spends Multiple Millions on High Corporate Salaries, PR and Lobbying While Nurses, Healthcare Workers Wait for Safe Staffing, Livable Wages
Emerson, NJ – Hackensack Meridian Health, New Jersey’s largest non-profit and most profitable health system, pays its top officers millions of dollars and spends tens of millions of dollars on lobbying and public relations but refuses to reach a settlement
Take a second to make a difference: Spread the word on Social Media
Help us spread the message through social media. On Facebook: use the tags – @HPAE.AFT, @HackensackMeridianHealth Here’s the message: I support the HPAE caregivers standing up for patient care! #PatientsOverProfit #FairContractNow patientsoverprofit.org On Twitter: Tag: @HPAEAFT, @HMHNJ Here’s the message:
Take a second to make a difference: Spread the word on Social Media
Help us spread the message through social media. On Facebook: use the tags – @HPAELocal5058RNs, @HPAE.AFT, @HackensackMeridianHealth, Here’s the message: I support the HPAE caregivers standing up for patient care! #PatientsOverProfit #FairContractNow patientsoverprofit.org On Twitter: Tag: @HPAEAFT, @HPAE5058, @HMHNJ. Here’s
Take a second to make a difference: Spread the word on Social Media
In the face of management's stall tactics, bad faith bargaining and take-back proposals in negotiations with our union, our local bargaining committee has called for...
Hospital System Too Focused on Its Wealth, High Corporate Salaries Nurses, Health Professionals Informational Pickets Planned for Wednesday
Health professionals represented by HPAE have given notice to Hackensack Meridian Health (HMH) of their intent to conduct informational picketing on August 15.
Local 5058 bargaining update & informational picket (8/15)
In the face of management's stall tactics, bad faith bargaining and take-back proposals in negotiations with our union, our local bargaining committee has called for...
Local 5030 & 5097 bargaining update & informational picket
In the face of management's stall tactics, bad faith bargaining and take-back proposals in negotiations with our union, our local bargaining committee has called for...
Healthcare Workers to hold Informational Picket at Hackensack Meridian Health Hospitals
Health professionals represented by HPAE have given notice to Hackensack Meridian Health (HMH) of their intent to conduct informational picketing on August 15.
Taking our fight to the community!
As HMH continues to stall at the bargaining table in an attempt to wear down our negotiating committees with unreasonable and unsafe proposals, we, the members, are taking our message to the public.
As Contracts expire for Nurses at Hackensack Meridian, HPAE Demands Corporate Executives Put an End to Divisive, Stalling Tactics
As of 7:00 AM on July 31, the contracts expired for two more HPAE locals currently in bargaining with Hackensack Meridian Health (HMH).
Contract Expires While Management Goes Home
After weeks of delays, management goes to bed while our contract expires.
Nurses and Health Professionals Tell Hackensack Meridian – Fair Bargaining, Not Union-busting
HPAE requested a Federal Mediator to assist in scheduling bargaining dates before the end of July and attend the ongoing negotiations. The contract, covering nearly 1,100 workers at both facilities, now owned by Hackensack Meridian Health, expired on July 20.
Results of HPAE Concerted Action Vote at Hackensack Meridian Facilities
Members from four HPAE facilities in the Hackensack Meridian Health system voted to support our local bargaining committees and oppose unfair labor practices by authorizing the committee to call for concerted activity...
Health Professionals Vote In Favor of Concerted Activity at Hackensack Meridian
HPAE nurses and health professionals at four Hackensack Meridian locations have voted in favor of engaging in concerted activities.
HPAE Locals 5058/5138 Bargaining update, July 13
Nurses from our hospitals were joined in bargaining by HPAE members from Palisades in Hudson County.
Coming together for care: After unifying rally, management proposes takebacks
Hundreds of union and community members rallied on June 27th to demonstrate our common goal: Put patient health before corporate wealth. On July 2-3, our Local 5058 and 5138 committee discussed raising standards for workers and patients in our hospitals
Health union rallies as contract deadlines loom at three Hackensack Meridian hospitals (video)
Health care workers at three of Hackensack Meridian Health's hospitals in Hudson and Monmouth counties rallied on Wednesday in a show of union solidarity as contract deadlines affecting 2,500 employees loom.
Rally for Healthcare Unites Health Professionals in Demanding Patient Safety and Workers’ Rights
Wednesday, June 27, 2018 (North Bergen and Neptune, NJ) – Nurses and health professionals bargaining with NJ’s largest healthcare corporation, Hackensack Meridian, held a Rally for Healthcare on Wednesday, June 27. At the bargaining table, 3,000 health professionals represented by
Local 5030 Negotiations Update, June 19, 2018
Management said they have “no interest” in safe staffing ratios. They will have the CNO and Director of Nursing at negotiations this Thursday to address staffing concerns.
Local 5058 Button Days
Local 5058 Says, “Button Up For A Fair Contract!” Beginning on June 1st, and carrying on through the month, members from Local 5058 are sending unity photos of departments buttoning up for a fair contract to be posted on our social
Local 5058 and Local 5138 bargaining update, June 14
Bargaining is underway as we stand together for our patients! We return to the bargaining table tomorrow.
Local 5030 negotiations update, June 8
Our HPAE Local 5030 Negotiating Committee met with management on Friday. We continue to hold our position that we will not accept any proposed negative changes to benefits (PTO, Retirement, Raises, etc.)
Update: Unreasonable Denial of PTO
Everyone deserves a day off! Hackensack Meridian continues to unreasonably deny members the time off we earn and has not provided information necessary for pursuing our grievance.
Solidarity Across the System: HPAE Locals Begin Bargaining with Hackensack Meridian
Members from Local 5030 told stories to the health system’s bargaining team about staffing problems at Palisades that could put healthcare workers and our patients at risk every day.
Local 5097 bargaining update, June 6
Management seems to prefer a promise, wink, and crossed fingers over actual ratios in the contract to improve staffing so they won’t be held accountable when their staffing levels are unsafe.
Local 5097 bargaining update, June 4
Our HPAE Local 5097 Bargaining Committee held our fourth bargaining session with Hackensack Meridian Health (HMH) on Monday, fighting for quality, safety, and fairness at the Harborage.
Local 5030 negotiations update, June 2
Nearly 100 HPAE Local 5030 members attend bargaining, speak on hazards of short staffing
Rally for Healthcare
The Nurses and Health Professionals at Hackensack Meridian Health are demanding that large corporation put patient care before corporate wealth.
Nurses, Health Professionals Speak Out During Nurses’ Week
HPAE and the Coalition for Patient Rights and Safe Staffing celebrated Nurses’ Week at a Town Hall event on “Patient Safety and Safe Staffing in Healthcare.” Safe staffing levels continue to be the most important issue for healthcare professionals.
We are Healthcare: Over 4,000 Health Professionals to Negotiate with Multiple Healthcare Systems for Patient Safety and Workers’ Rights Across New Jersey
Patient safety and workers’ rights will top the agenda when HPAE nurses and health professionals begin bargaining with several large healthcare corporations across New Jersey over the next few weeks.
Thats all, folks - no more news!
Resources
- Fake Face Mask Guide for HPAE Members
- Exposed & At-Risk: New Jersey healthcare workers reveal how our safety systems failed them during the COVID-19 pandemic
- HPAE FAQ on Extended Use & Reuse of Respirators
- AFL-CIO Table on Face PPE (Respirators, Masks and Face Shields)-Updated (5/2)
- CDC/NIOSH Approved Particulate Filtering Facepiece Respirators
- Why do we fit test?
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