HPAE DELEGATES HELP SET AFT’S NATIONAL AGENDA
HPAE members brought the voice of nurses and health professionals to the 2026 AFT Convention in Washington, D.C.
Forty-three HPAE delegates representing locals across New Jersey and Philadelphia joined nearly 2,500 delegates from throughout the country at the AFT’s 89th Convention, held July 16–19. Delegates debated and adopted national union policy, celebrated organizing and bargaining victories, elected AFT officers and committed to the fights ahead. HPAE delegates played an active role throughout the convention, participating in committee meetings and floor debate, joining healthcare workers from across the country and building solidarity with our fellow New Jersey affiliates.
Delegates Advance Healthcare and Worker Priorities
Convention delegates adopted resolutions establishing AFT policy on safe staffing, corporate control of healthcare, immigrant rights the 2026 elections, and more:
Expanding Code Red and the fight for safe staffing
Delegates committed AFT to an expanded national Code Red campaign, including a goal of winning enforceable, ratio-based safe-staffing laws in at least 10 additional states by 2028. The resolution also calls for federal staffing legislation and greater strategic and financial assistance for bargaining and legislative campaigns. The convention specifically recognized staffing-ratio language won in numerous New Jersey contracts, reflecting the organizing and mobilization of HPAE members.
Building Power for the 2026 Elections
Delegates committed to a major member-to-member political mobilization ahead of the November elections. The AFT’s national goal is to recruit 28,000 election volunteers, approximately 1.5 percent of every local union’s membership, to help mobilize 200,000 AFT voters. For HPAE, that translates into a clear organizing challenge: recruit 225 election volunteers, an average of 12 members per local, and build a member-led program capable of reaching coworkers directly.
Standing with immigrant families
Delegates adopted a resolution condemning current ICE operations and calling for stronger protections for immigrant workers, patients, students and families. It supports keeping immigration enforcement out of hospitals, schools, houses of worship and other sensitive locations; requiring judicial warrants; protecting due-process rights; and expanding training and resources for locals responding to immigration enforcement actions.
Patients over profits
Delegates affirmed healthcare as a human right and committed the AFT to opposing the financialization of healthcare, including private-equity and for-profit control of hospitals and essential health services. The resolution supports protecting community hospitals from profit-driven closures, challenging excessive consolidation and continuing the fight for universal healthcare.
AFT Posts Highest-Ever Membership as Union Popularity Surges
The AFT has reached a record 1.8 million members, with nearly 60,000 workers in 179 new units joining over the last two years. Healthcare has been a major driver of that growth, with AFT Nurses and Health Professionals now representing over 250,000 healthcare workers nationwide and ranking as the fastest-growing healthcare union in the country and the second largest nurses union in the AFL-CIO. Our newest affiliate is the 1,500-member Hawaii Nurses and Healthcare Professionals.
New Jersey Solidarity
HPAE delegates joined AFT New Jersey members for a joint delegate luncheon during the convention, bringing together educators, higher education workers, nurses and health professionals from across the state.
Barbara Rosen receives AFT Living the Legacy Award
HPAE First Vice President, Barbara Rosen, received the AFT’s Living the Legacy Award, recognizing over 50 years of service. Established by the AFT Women’s Rights Committee, the award honors women whose leadership, activism and mentorship have strengthened their unions and communities.
Debbie White re-elected to AFT Executive Council
HPAE President Debbie White, RN, was re-elected as an AFT vice president and member of the union’s national Executive Council. Debbie will continue bringing the experience and priorities of HPAE nurses and health professionals into the AFT’s national leadership. Delegates elected 43 vice presidents to serve alongside AFT President Randi Weingarten, Secretary-Treasurer Fedrick Ingram and Executive Vice President, Evelyn DeJesus.
HPAE Delegates
Local 5004 – Alice Barden, Cathi Goldfischer, Sarah Szulecki, Elaine Van Buren-Rizzo
Local 5030 – Tara Lyndia Ontal, Azza Elsaid, Elizabeth Simon
Local 5058 – Daniel Hayes, Stephanie Boursiquot, Kathleen Kochel, Fiona Morgan-Newbury
Local 5091 – Faith Mazuru. Cristina Blasoni-Topsidis. Jeffrey Peck, Barbara Rosen
Local 5089 – Banita Herndon, Ivan Bangug, Wendy Bobcombe, Sabrina Brown-Oliver, Dominick Desteno, Stella Odefemi
Local 5094 – Mayra Barreto, Herberth Chacon, Anna Falisiewicz, Saleena Ghanny, Noor Hamdan, Jessica Liptak, Jason Minott, Christina Rozario, Ashley Uribe, Carmen Vincenty
Local 5105 – Debbie White
Local 5106 – Tamika Gillard, Christopher Lewis
Local 5107 – Tamara Williams-Joseph, Eugenie Adolphe
Local 5138 – Anna Pona
Local 5147 – Curtis Jeter, Juan Seguinot
Local 5186 – Rebecca Lowe
Local 5621 – Jennifer Thurston
HPAE State Fed, 8071 – Alexis Rean-Walker
HPAE Retirees, 8071R – Bernie Gerard
Guests – Kendra McCann (5058), Pam Reinhardt (5058), Cynthia Baez-Lugo (5089), Mendes Toussant (5094), Chris Whalen (HPAE E.D.)
Up next:
HPAE 2027 Convention Oct. 22-23 Atlantic City, NJ
AFT 2028 Convention, Portland, OR Jul. 18-21
For more information about the resolutions adopted at the convention and other convention highlights, visit aft.org/convention.