Press

Milwaukee, WI-- As a nurse, and leader of the Wisconsin Federation of Nurses & Health Professionals, representing 2,500 nurses and health professionals, I’m alarmed at the nomination of Tom Price to head our nation’s leading health agency, Health and Human Services, an agency whose mission is to protect the health and wellness of America’s families. 

For Immediate Release          Contact: Jamie Lucas
April 1, 2016                                           720-621-3689

MILWAUKEE, WI--Nurses, community leaders, and mental health advocates have joined together to demand that Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele stop playing politics with fragile lives. In spite of a gag order placed on all County employees by Abele, the Wisconsin Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals (WFNHP) and the mental health community are calling on the County Executive to release critical information requested by a County Auditor in order to conduct a standard review of safety conditions at the County-operated Behavioral Health Division (BHD). Public officials have also expressed outrage that the secretive actions of the Abele administration have caused the safety review to be suspended.

Milwaukee, WI--In another sign of a depply divided Supreme Court, today in a 3-2 decision, the majority ruled future pension benefits for Milwaukee County employees can be reduced, while affirming that already vested benefits cannot be changed. Today's ruling overturned a unanimous Appeals Court decision and, as Justice Bradley wrote in her dissent, was "another blow to the rights of employees." As we have seen in earlier decisions, Justice Bradley and Chief Justice Abrahamson again issued a formal dissent to the ruling and stood solidly on the side of working families.

Milwaukee, Wis. – At 1pm today, on the front steps of the Courthouse, dozens of Milwaukee County Mental Health nurses and frontline staff stood up for their patients speaking out to protest unsafe staffing. The nurses demanded that County Executive Abele take immediate action to fill the dozens of RN and Nursing Assistant vacancies, and put an end to the dangerous and widespread practice of forcing nursing staff to work massive amounts of involuntary overtime. The nurses also presented the County Executive with a petition, signed by over a hundred workers, which included a list of 10 corrective actions; and, demanded he take immediate action to correct the unsafe staffing, including reducing the hospital census until such time adequate staff is hired and trained to care for patients with severe mental illness.

Wisconsin's Nurses and Health Professionals Endorse Mary Burke for Governor
 

Milwaukee, Wis. – On this National Nurses’ Day, the Wisconsin Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals (WFNHP) is proud to announce its endorsement of Mary Burke for Governor. Ms. Burke has a strong commitment to making quality health care available to all Wisconsinites and is clearly on the side of working families, especially working women. “Nurses understand that the policies set by the Governor of the state directly impact the health care of our citizens and the quality of working conditions for all frontline care givers,” stated WFNHP President Candice Owley, RN.

Milwaukee, WI--The Wisconsin Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals was deeply saddend to hear of the death of former Milwaukee County Executive F. Thomas Ament.

"Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences are with the Ament family, said Candice Owley, RN, WFNHP president. "Our organiztion had a long standing working relationship with Tom Ament during his decade-long leadership of Milwaukee County. Ament was a major force in the creation of the Milwaukee County Regional Medical Center which had provided quality care for thousands of people in our community. He should be remembered for his decades of admirable public service. Rest in Peace, Tom Ament."

Milwaukee--June 27, 2012--Statement of Candice Owley, R.N., president of WFNHP:
"The decision that the ACA is constitutional is a tremendous victory for Wisconsin families. The ruling not only supports the constitutionality of the Act, but it also allows the building of a better, fairer healthcare system to move forward. Today's ruling provides peace of mind for Wisconsin families because it ensures that hard working families will get the health coverage they deserve and will be protected against the worst forms of insurance abuse..."  Read the entire statement.

Worldwide unions launch campaign for the common good
--Quality Public Services—Action Now!
Milwaukee, WI--At the request of the Public Services International, the Council of Global Unions, which includes both private and public sector global unions and the International Trade Union Confederation, have picked Wisconsin as one of the global sites to launch a campaign to protect public services.
Quality Public Services–Action Now! aims to advance public services for all people through unprecedented coordinated solidarity action across borders. Candice Owley, board member of Public Services International and president of the Wisconsin Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals, American Federation of Teachers, explained that, "unions worldwide are working with a wide range of allies to build sustainable economies that benefit all people–not just a select few. We welcome the launch of this campaign and are honored that Wisconsin will be a pilot location for the project.”