Coronavirus Update: Making sure our safety is prioritized and our rights are protected
COVID-19
Dear NUHW Member:
Last week, we submitted information requests to all employers demanding that they quickly provide detailed information about how they plan to keep workers and patients safe while treating people infected with the coronavirus. We have already seen at least one case in which a hospital that employs NUHW members did not immediately take appropriate safety precautions, and there are several public reports of healthcare workers who were potentially exposed to the coronavirus because of lax oversight procedures.
Click here to read the information request template that was later tailored for individual medical facilities and employers — and sent out late last week. We will keep everyone informed as we get information and make sure that every hospital, clinic, and nursing home with NUHW members has appropriate safety protocols and sufficient supplies of safety gear.
We are also pressing employers to ensure that NUHW members be paid without having to use PTO if they are required to be quarantined over possible exposure to the coronavirus.
Click here to see the coronavirus preparedness tool provided to healthcare facilities by the Centers for Disease Control. If you feel that your employer is not taking appropriate precautions to protect your safety or the safety of your colleagues or patients, please immediately report your concerns to your steward or organizer. Or you can contact NUHW directly at (510) 834-2009.
In Unity,
Sal Rosselli, President, National Union of Healthcare Workers
Sophia Mendoza, Secretary-Treasurer, National Union of Healthcare Workers