The Healthcare Professionals and Allied Employees (HPAE) – which is New Jersey’s largest nursing union, by the way – endorsed Phil Murphy in 2017 and again in 2021 notwithstanding the Democrat governor’s idiotic Covid-19 policies.
“Today is a victory for HPAE members who participated in labor walks, canvassing and phone-banking. Their hard work paid off in electing and re-electing candidates who will fight for the interests of working people, including healthcare workers,” HPAE President Debbie White, RN crowed on November 4th, the day after Election Day. “Today we celebrate our triumphs as we continue to fight for policies that improve working conditions and hold our elected officials accountable.”
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Now she’s singing a slightly different tune.
Two-and-a-half months later, the HPAE is no longer celebrating “working conditions” for New Jersey nurses in light of the latest mandate out Trenton.
“Testing is a key component and today’s executive order has just eliminated an important tool in slowing the spread of the virus,” White said this week after the Murphy Administration announced a health care booster mandate without a testing alternative, a reveral of the Governor’s September order. “While we appreciate the need to increase vaccination rates, this does not solve the problems that exist right now,” White continued.
Don’t try to make scientific sense of the statement, folks. You’ll get a headache.
Some Republicans are seizing on the HPAE’s reaction to Murphy’s betrayal.
“Testing seems to be the one thing that’s somewhat effective at stopping the spread of the Omicron variant, so it doesn’t make any sense for Governor Murphy take that away as an option for health care workers,” said newly-seated State Senator Ed Durr (R-3) on Thursday. “Nurses know that, which is exactly why their union blasted the executive order saying it ‘eliminated an important tool in slowing the spread of the virus.’ The same people the governor called heroes not too long ago he’s now calling selfish and refuses to trust.”
The point is this: as I’ve told you many times in the past, Save Jerseyans, Garden State politics often turns on the preferences of mega-powerful unions (most notably the NJEA) who routinely flex their power but often achieve little of value for their dues-paying members.
Is the teacher’s chronically-imperiled pension better off for Democrat governance? Are New Jersey’s police better served by increasingly woke elected officials when their unions refuse to back Republican challengers? No and no, and the list goes on and on.
Here’s hoping HPAE nurses who’d like to make the booster decision for themselves are paying attention. Your union f***ed you, and an apology is not forthcoming.
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