WASHINGTON – Today, the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW), which represents 1.2 million essential workers across North America, including nursing home, assisted living, and health care industry workers, released a statement in response to the Trump administration’s decision to repeal President Biden’s nursing home staffing rule and a report by the New York Times that revealed political donations made by the nursing home industry.
UFCW International President Milton Jones said:
“The nursing home staffing rule was a win-win for workers and patients alike. Patients’ needs can be addressed sooner and workers can have consistent schedules that allow them to take home more money for their families. This rule could have saved 13,000 lives every year with more workers on the job to care for patients and residents, but instead, the Trump administration revoked it.
“Our members know that understaffing in this industry is not due to a lack of workers, but rather the industry’s insistence in putting profit over patient care. Quite simply, nursing home executives saw this rule as a threat to their pockets, no matter how many lives it would save.
“Now, it seems the well-being of patients and workers can be compromised for a few million dollars in political donations and private meetings with the Trump administration. Workers and patients should inform nursing home rules, not special interests.”
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The UFCW International is the largest private sector union in the United States, representing 1.2 million workers and their families in grocery, meatpacking, food processing, healthcare, cannabis, retail, and other essential industries. UFCW members serve our communities in all 50 states, Canada, and Puerto Rico. Learn more about the UFCW at ufcw.org.