JNESO Praises Senate President Sweeney, Speaker Coughlin, & Governor Murphy

Protecting Health Care Workers & Safe Staffing Ratios

New Brunswick, N.J. (June 2, 2021) – JNESO District Council 1, the professional health care union, is pleased with the legislation released today that will officially end the public health emergency, but will continue to prioritize the health and safety of frontline workers and New Jersey residents over the next few months.

“JNESO is thankful to the Senate President, Speaker, and Governor for heeding our call to protect our membership as we navigate what we all hope to be the end of the COVID-19 pandemic. We are grateful to have been part of the review and discussion process and to have had a voice in this process. In particular, we need to keep safe staffing ratios in place to make sure that there are enough qualified nurses available to give optimal care to our patients, and maintain protections for overtime shifts and vacation time,” said Douglas Placa, Executive Director of JNESO, which serves 5,000 nurses and techs in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

“Being prepared and protected is critical for our nursing workforce, which has been stretched to its limits by the pandemic over the past year,” said Elfrieda Johnson, President of the Board of Directors for JNESO, District Council 1. “In hearing our concerns, legislative leadership and the Governor have given us the confidence that important rules will remain in place to ensure higher safety standards, continued access to personal protective equipment and the resources we need to protect ourselves and our patients, no matter what the future may hold.”