Gov. Brown signed AB 1102

December 3, 2017

Dear SEIU Local 121RN members:

I have some great news!

If you didn’t already hear on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram…

Governor Brown signed our Whistleblower protection bill, AB 1102!

As our Union President Gayle Batiste said in a press statement Tuesday, “Those of us on the front line of patient care applaud this strong message from the Governor: Californians won’t tolerate a downward spiral of cut corners and diminished patient safety.”

For me, this was very personal. I stood my ground for patient safety earlier this year and I’m still paying a price that no conscientious healthcare professional should ever have to pay. I was disciplined when I refused to put patient safety at risk. I was asked to be dangerously (and illegally) out-of-ratio. On the day in question I had one patient who was dying and another who’d just come out of ICU with complications. I knew the level of care that would be required for these patients, so I held my ground and wouldn't accept the additional assignment.

I was sent home without pay.

Like I said, that should never happen to any of us. Assemblymember Freddie Rodriguez agreed and worked with us to introduce AB 1102. A majority of state legislators from both parties agreed with us, too. And on Tuesday, Governor Brown agreed with us, turning this bill into law.