Too Many Patients, Too Few Staff Members Create Unsafe Conditions, Unions Announce

“Nurses and other hospital-based workers joined union officials Dec. 13 to launch a lobbying effort aimed at creating minimum standards for staff numbers in hospitals. In an emotional press conference by livestream, several workers shared their own experiences with covering gaps left by short staffing.”

"The campaign is a collaboration between three health care unions: SEIU 1199, Washington State Nurses Association (WSNA), and the United Food and Commercial Workers 21 (UFCW 21). At their campaign website, the unions released results of a poll of workers that showed almost half are considering quitting their jobs within a few years. The three unions represent about 70,000 health care personnel, including nurses, in the state."