News

WFNHP Response to the Tragic Shooting of Jacob Blake by Kenosha, WI Police

Black Lives Matter. We have made statements and demanded justice in the past regarding the merciless killings of Black people. Thankfully, Jacob Blake is still among the living, albeit forever changed. It is crucial in this moment to listen, learn, and lift up the voices of those directly impacted by our unjust systems. Then, we must all act. Rather than making yet another statement, we are sharing the words of several Black-led groups working in the struggle to win justice and basic human rights, as well as suggestions for meaningful actions you can take right now. Support them. Listen to them. In the labor movement, we call it “collective bargaining” when directly affected people get their say in how their institutions should function. This is a concept we, as a union, should continue to champion in this scenario.

WFNHP puts Ascension Wisconsin on notice that they’re failing our nurses and health professionals – and patients.

On 12/2/20, our union sent a letter to high level corporate executives at Ascension Wisconsin and to the local administration of St. Francis Hospital outlining the ways in which the disrespect of frontline staff and their union have directly contributed to the incredibly difficult working conditions in the hospital. WFNHP respectfully demanded the immediate implementation of a paid leave program for all frontline workers to deal with COVID-19 related illness; hazard pay for all healthcare workers in their employ; and a genuinely collaborative approach to stabilizing the staffing crisis in the hospital. We laid out the timeline of events since the beginning of the pandemic that clearly demonstrate our repeated attempts to protect and respect our nurses and health professionals and the ways in which we attempted to bring about concerning issues related to staffing and quality care between March and November of this year. MORE

WFNHP Statement on Black Lives Matter

Wisconsin Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals, Local 5000, AFT, AFL, CIO Statement on Black Lives Matter

WFNHP stands in absolute solidarity with our community seeking justice for the countless and senseless deaths of Black people across the world. The murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery are the latest painful symptoms of the underlying condition of systemic racism in America. The institutions in our country that are supposed to protect and serve, deliver justice, and keep us healthy have failed the Black and Brown communities time and again because they were never truly designed to work for those communities.

AFT Members on the Frontlines

AFT nurses, healthcare professionals, public employees, teachers, school staff and many others are on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic.

On Friday, November 1, 2019, from 5:00-9:00 PM we will be holding our Annual Fall Membership/Dinner Meeting and Election of Local 5000 Officers at Klemmer's Banquet Center, 10401 W. Oklahoma Ave. in West Allis.

Election: Voting will take place from 5:30-7:30 PM at Klemmer's Banquet Center (Maryland Room). Members can stop by any time during these hours to cast their ballot. You do not have to attend the dinner meeting in order to vote.

Dinner Meeting: For a $5.00 registration fee, members will enjoy a delicious family style dinner including beef pot roast, baked chicken, mashed potatoes, vegetables, salad, rolls and coffee, tea or milk to drink. (A cash bar will also be available.) Pre-registration is required by October 23, 2019.

When healthcare workers show up to work, they shouldn’t have to worry about whether a patient is going to hurt them. Violence should never be a part of the job.

Workplace violence has touched the lives of many of our members. One of them, Patricia "Patt" Moon-Updike, RN, will be testifying before the U. S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Workplace Protections at the hearing entitled "Caring for Our Caregivers: Protecting Health Care and social Service Workers from Workplace Violence" this Wednesday, Febrary 27, 2019, in Washington, D.C., to tell her story.

Community Outrage Causes Ascension to Declare a "Pause" in Closing St. Joe's Inpatient Units

On April 11^th we notified our members of our Union’s great concern regarding Ascension’s proposal to eliminate medical and surgical inpatient units at St. Joe’s Hospital and, more broadly, rumors of other cuts. Because of our concerns, we held meetings with Mayor Barrett and other elected officials, and also joined in the creation of a broad based coalition led by some amazing northside community organizations along with Citizen Action of Wisconsin. Nate Gilliam, our organizer, was also part of a meeting with St. Joe’s administration where the planned changes were aggressively challenged.

We knew that by joining together with the community to stand up and preserve quality jobs and health services we would be stronger and have a greater chance to fight back against negative changes from Ascension. Our coalition--Save St. Joe’s--immediately put up an online petition, and now has a dedicated website. There is no question we got their attention.

Congratulations to Your New Chapter Officers

All 11 Chapters of WFNHP Local 5000 held their election of officers in March 2018. The WFNHP Election Committee has counted the ballots and certified the results. These officers will lead their union for the next two years.

The new leadership teams include nurses and health professional leaders from across the state and from a variety of backgrounds. The elected leaders’ unique experiences are sure to enhance the work of our union and its vision of being recognized as a dynamic leader in ensuring the health of our community and the rights and living standards of our members and all healthcare workers in Wisconsin.

Nurses & Healthcare Professionals Statement on Criminal Charges Against Armor Corrections in Tragic Death of Inmate--Nurses Lost Their Voice, Milwaukee Needlessly Lost a Life

Milwaukee, WI-- The Wisconsin Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals (WFNHP), is saddened and disturbed at the loss of life and the conditions the for-profit Florida company, Armor, created in Milwaukee County's jail. Unfortunately, there were plenty of warnings that tragedy could strike and lives would be needlessly lost under Armor's direction.

On June 15^th the Wisconsin Federation of Nurses & Health Professionals (WFNHP) and Citizen Action of Wisconsin launched a 60-day drive to create an organizing cooperative dedicated to fighting to make healthcare a fundamental human right.

WFNHP President Candice Owley on ‘Healthcare for All Co-op:”

"Our fight for quality, affordable healthcare didn’t begin with Obamacare and it won’t end with any version of Trumpcare. We’ve partnered with Citizen Action to create an alternative, a ‘Healthcare for All’ Co-op. This partnership brings together the voices of doctors, nurses, healthcare professionals and patients to transform our healthcare system. We know from the work our members do inside our communities that individuals want their voices to be heard, not shut out. Lawmakers should work together with those most severely affected by healthcare reform, to help fix what’s broken but also maintain the benefits the ACA has afforded has them. Working behind closed doors in Washington is not the answer. Together, we can build a better healthcare system—one that is centered on providing high-quality care, not on turning profits. Every responsible legislator in the country who shares the vision of affordable healthcare should join our movement.”