Employer intimidation denies home health caregivers a voice in patients’ safety and delivery of home healthcare

Press Statement of Debbie White, RN and President

July 27, 2019

Recently, the home healthcare nurses of Robert Wood Johnson Visiting Nurses (RWJ VNA) joined together to protect their patients’ safety and health. Nurses on the frontlines who bring care into hundreds of Central Jersey homes every day, took a brave step and filed for a union election with HPAE.

However, rather than let caregivers have their day to vote, free to make their own decisions, RWJ VNA spent the last few weeks subjecting nurses to an onslaught of meetings and lectures from administrators, with the primary goal to maintain the status quo and silence the nurses’ collective voice. On behalf of the organizing committee of RWJ VNA nurses, HPAE has withdrawn the petition for a union election scheduled for July 30th and August 1st, 2019.

RWJ VNA has shown their true colors through an aggressive anti-union campaign. If RWJ VNA really cares about the quality of care and their patients, they need to listen to their nurses and treat them with dignity and respect, not intimidation. Rather than continue to subject everyone to the ongoing intimidation, the nurses will consider an alternative approach to ensuring all caregivers have a greater say in their workplace.

Together the nurses will continue to hold the administration of VNA Health Group accountable and demand they listen to their nurses. Every nurse who has spoken up to demand they have a say should be proud of how far they have come. HPAE will continue to work with home healthcare nurses who are true advocates for their patients and their profession.