Press

Milwaukee, WI--Today's Supreme Court decision, the Janus ruling, impacts unions and union members across the country, but it means something unique to us in Wisconsin. We have endured attacks on our rights as working people over the last several years. Unfortunately, our union sisters and brothers across the country are now getting a taste of what we have faced. However, we have never stopped fighting for what our members and patients deserve--no matter what--and today will not weaken our resolve.

Four WFNHP RN’s—Libby Gabriel, Kitty Schroeder, Jorja Doherty and Pat Geiger--were among more than two dozen AFT nurses and health professional members who traveled to the Virgin Islands last week on a humanitarian mission to perform vision and hearing screenings for all the public school students on the islands.

The effort was part of AFT's comprehensive recovery assistance that it has been providing since hurricanes Irma and Maria struck the islands last September. The volunteer nurses were hosted by members of the St. Thomas-St. John Federation of Teachers and the St. Croix Federation of Teachers.

Kitty Schroeder, a registered nurse at the VA Medical Center in Milwaukee, pictured performing a hearing test, shared her experience stating,

A statement from Wisconsin Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals President and AFT Vice President Candice Owley:

“As healthcare professionals, we must either help, or do no harm to, the patient. Sadly, our CDC director doesn’t abide by this same principle. Her financial conflict of interests put the work of the CDC and our entire healthcare system at risk—in the midst of the worst flu outbreak in recent history and a growing opioid epidemic.

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."