WHEREAS:

The American health care system is experiencing hospital consolidations, downsizing, and reengineering. Increased acuity of hospital patients and a shift of care from hospitals to ambulatory and community-based settings is changing the manner in which services and care are provided; and

WHEREAS:

These trends are having an impact on employment settings, staffing, wages and recruitment and retention rates for health care workers, including doctors, interns and residents. Other sectors of the economy that provide higher wages, better benefits and less stressful working conditions are competing for entry level and frontline workers. Adding to the problem, dissatisfaction with wages, workloads, increased overtime, and lack of support staff has led many nurses to quit their hospital jobs; and

WHEREAS:

Demand for health care services is projected to increase in the future as the result of the aging of the U.S. population and the increase in the incidence of chronic illness. By 2020, the number of available RNs is expected to fall 20 percent below demand; and

WHEREAS:

The current healthcare workforce is aging. In 1980, more than half of registered nurses were under the age of 40 and 26 percent were under the age of 30. By 2000, only 31.7 percent were under the age of 40 and less than 10 percent were younger than age 30. By 2010, about 40 percent of health care workers will be older than 50; and

WHEREAS:

An increasingly diverse nation demands growing numbers of minority providers to deliver culturally competent care and reduce health disparities; and

WHEREAS:

AFSCME has a strong desire and commitment to help create environments that meet the needs of patients and health care workers.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED:

That the present and impending health care worker shortages are a major public health problem; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:

That AFSCME work with other groups to assess and outline changes in the work environment, the health care industry and education programs to promote accessible, high quality health care delivery; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:

That AFSCME advance legislation at the federal and state levels to limit the ability of employers to impose mandatory overtime on health care workers and to give health care workers the right to refuse overtime without fear of discrimination or retaliation; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:

That AFSCME support the right of health care workers to say "NO" to overtime work when they feel it is not safe for themselves or their patients. AFSCME will continue to use collective bargaining and labor/management committees to address these issues; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:

That AFSCME will promote strategies at the bargaining table that provide reasonable workloads, empower workers, allow for a greater use of flexible hours or creative scheduling, raise wages, promote a diverse health care work force, and improve health insurance and other benefits for current staff; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:

That AFSCME advocate for continued support from government, educational and healthcare institutions for health care worker training and career pathway programs; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:

That AFSCME affiliates promote grassroots advocacy to influence social and public policy to effect community, workplace and governmental interventions for easing health care worker shortages at all levels; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED:

That AFSCME continue to work in coalition with patients, families, and patient advocacy organizations for public policies and collective bargaining agreements that promote quality patient care and improve the working conditions of health care workers.

SUBMITTED BY:

Henry Nicholas, President and Delegate
Joseph Franklin, Secretary and Delegate
NUHHCE/AFSCME District 1199C
Pennsylvania