Dear SEIU 121RN Stewards,

You probably saw Gayle's email yesterday about Jerry Brown vetoing our "Stop Repeat Offender Hospitals" bill. Make no mistake: we are more determined than ever. We will keep introducing legislation to ENFORCE safe staffing until it's the law. I encourage you to channel our shared anger about the veto on our bill that would have provided strong protections for our patients and our licenses and held hospital administrators accountable to the law. We will need to step up our efforts to make sure we get this done next year under a new governor!

As you know, we recently asked members to complete a "legislative priorities" survey to figure out what we'll focus on in 2019. Given the Governor's veto, it just became crystal clear what we'll work on: ensuring that enforcement of Title 22's legally-mandated nurse-to-patient ratios becomes a reality. Laws without enforcement don’t do anyone any good.

Stay tuned.

I know I mention this all the time, but yesterday's events reminded me to remind you: elections matter. More than ever, we need to make sure we elect leaders to local, state and national office who understand the need for good Nurse and patient legislation and policy. We need state legislators to author, support and get our bills to the governor's desk. We need a governor who will sign them. We need leaders in the U.S. Congress who will strengthen and improve the Affordable Care Act, not weaken and dismantle it. We need leaders who will listen more to patients and those of us on the front line of patient safety and care than to the giant corporate hospital CEOs.

	Click here to sign up today to join members (like Tarzana RN Caroline Jacks, pictured) who are encouraging other 121RN members to vote for Dr. Ed Hernandez (one of our "Healthcare Heroes") this November 6th.
	Make sure 121RN members at your hospitals are registered to vote in their current precinct! *** Last day to register to VOTE: *** Mon., Oct. 22, 2018 Also, never miss an election again by becoming a permanent "vote-by-mail" voter! And let your colleagues know about this easy way to make sure election participation fits with our busy schedules.
	Look for an email coming soon with all of our ballot recommendations. And be sure to share our "Smart Voter" guide with the members at your hospital: bit.ly/121RN-SmartVoter.

Scholarships! There's still time to encourage your co-workers to apply for an SEIU Local 121RN scholarship: Members can apply »»» here and you can download a flyer from our online Purple Comms folder.

ATTN Stewards at hospitals where we're in bargaining: Stay current to help keep your co-workers mobilized. Your Bargaining Teams will be S-T-R-O-N-G if they know their colleagues have their back. Check out your hospital's page on our website »»» here where you can find the latest news: Bargaining Surveys...Bargaining Team...Bargaining Updates.

Upcoming Events:

• Happening now... Voter outreach efforts—click »»» here to sign up!
• **October 17, 2018 Steward Training Part 2 (must complete Part 1 before attending) (please note that this date has changed; it was previously scheduled for Nov. 21st)**
• Check our website calendar for more!

Union Bulletin Board: find the latest to keep your Union Bulletin Board up-to-date! Check out the »»» online Purple Comms folder for current flyers and brochures! If you have difficulty accessing this online folder, please reply to this email and we'll assist you. For hospital-specific flyers, please contact your Union Rep/Organizer (click on your hospital »»» here for details).

Questions?

Don’t hesitate to reply and we’ll make sure your question, suggestion or concern gets to the appropriate person.

In Unity, Rosanna Mendez Chief of Staff SEIU Local 121RN

____________________________________________________________________

Like us on Facebook | Follow us on Twitter | Follow us on Instagram