Encino RN Matt Montoya pictured last week urging Assemblymember Joaquin Arambula to support SB 1288; also pictured are St. Joe's RN Joyce Powell, Northridge RN & SEIU Local 121RN President Gayle Batiste, Monterey Park RN Mabel Bochko, St. Joe's RN Ben Vize, Riverside RN Kathy Montanino and our SEIU State Council lobbyist Mark Mendoza.
Our bosses over at the California Hospital Association have convinced several key decision makers in Sacramento that:"This isn't really an issue. Staffing problems hardly ever happen."What?!For many of us, we know this sadly happens all too frequently. |
Clearly, our elected leaders need to hear from us.We need to ensure that Sacramento has a clear picture of what's REALLY going on in our hospitals. |
Please DO ALL FOUR of these actions if you haven't already: |
SEIU Local 121RN Member:
I've got a message for repeat offender hospitals: WATCH OUT!
I'm excited to report that our "Stop Repeat Offender Hospitals" bill, SB 1288, is getting VERY close to the Governor's desk! Hospitals that repeatedly ignore state-mandated nurse-to-patient ratios will have to think twice before they endanger patients and our licenses.
TODAY—The Assembly Appropriations Committee passed our bill despite heavy lobbying by our bosses over at the California Hospital Association. Click »»» here to see how legislators voted.
The bill is scheduled to go before the full Assembly for a floor vote. If it passes, it then goes to the Senate floor for a final concurrence vote, and then off it goes to Governor Brown's desk. We'll stay in high gear with our postcards and phone calls.
Why is this bill so important?
SB 1288 will put some real teeth into California's nurse-to-patient ratio laws by introducing an enforcement mechanism into these regulations. California has groundbreaking rules on minimum staffing levels, but too many hospitals ignore them—as Nurses like Kathy, Joyce, Alvin and Yolanda describe. SB 1288 will bring unannounced inspections and establish a progressive fine structure on hospitals that continue to violate Title 22 ratios.
Several of us lobbied Assemblymembers face-to-face last week in anticipation of today's vote. This is in addition to SEIU Local 121RN Nurses' calls to them in the weeks leading up to this vote. We made sure these decision makers heard from nurses like us who actually provide patient care!
Watch your email, our FB page and our website for updates!
We'll let you know how the vote goes on the Assembly floor and what the timeline is for getting to the Governor's desk. In the meantime, be sure to add your voice!
In unity, Gayle Batiste, RN, CNOR President, SEIU Local 121RN
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