Commonwealth Health Professionals

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Frontline DOC Employees Testify to House Majority Policy Committee

DOC hearing small feat

On Friday, March 16th at 10:00 AM,frontline Department of Corrections employees offered testimony at a House Majority Policy Committee hearing that challenged Corbett Administration’s assertion that outsourcing health care services in the DOC will save money and not compromise safety and security both within and outside prison walls.

How Corbett's Bad Budget Will Affect YOU

Corbett's Bad Budget

Governor Corbett proposed budget continues the assault on working families and our state’s most vulnerable citizens by slashing funding for schools, nursing homes and services for those who need it most.

New Report Released on the Risks of Privatizing the DOC

Governor Corbett's proposal to privatize our DOC health care services is bad for nurses, bad for the public and falls far short of projected cost savings, reads a new report just released by SEIU Healthcare PA and the CLEAR Coalition.

DOC nurses deck the halls of Harrisburg

DOCLobbyDay

A half-dozen corrections nurses (along with one 2-year-old little elf) traveled to Harrisburg to deck the halls of the state capitol building on Tuesday, December 13. The group spread holiday cheer to lawmakers, thanking the 63 sponsors who've already signed on to our cause, and reaching out to those who haven't yet joined us.

State nurses ratify new agreement!

The Commonwealth Health Professionals, members of SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania, have overwhelmingly ratified their new 4-year agreement by 93 percent. The contract follows the other unions, with a 10.75% wage increase over the next 4 years and no increase in healthcare until 2014 when all but a ½ percent of the 2 percent increase can be avoided by enrolling in the “get healthy” program.

PA Supreme Court Victory: No More Payless Paydays for State Employees!

Unions that represent state employees in PA joined together in a lawsuit to end payless paydays once and for all. The PA Supreme Court has ruled that most state employees must be paid for working during a budget impasse.

Read this Patriot-News article for more information.

We've Protected Hundreds DOC Nursing Jobs and Kept our co-workers and Our Communities Safe

On Thursday, May 10, we received word from the PA DOC's Secretary John Wetzel that, because of our hard work, plans to contract out nursing services in the DOC will not proceed. Instead the Department of Corrections has elected to continue the present level of contracted medical, psychiatric, and pharmacy services.

"We are thrilled that the Department of Corrections has chosen to recognize the irreplaceable value of our service and abandon plans to outsource healthcare services in the DOC," said Renee Walligan, nurse from SCI,"As frontline nurses who work in our correctional facilities, we know the risks we face each day and the need for having trained, experienced Commonwealth healthcare professionals in place to keep our prisons secure and the public safe."

This victory tonight could not have been possible without the determined efforts of all of our members and allies who have worked hard for months to get our message out by holding ten informational pickets, lobbying our legislators, signing petitions by the hundreds and packing the room at a legislative hearing in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania. We saw that our voices were being heard as legislators stepped up from both sides of the aisle and sponsored legislation that would prohibit  state funds from being used to privatize nursing in the DOC.

And finally our efforts have paid off. As a result of our unity and resolve, we have protected over 800 good family sustaining jobs here in Pennsylvania, 300 of which belong to our members.
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