Recommitting Ourselves To The Code Red Campaign: Saving Healthcare From Corporatization For Our Patients, Our Communities And Ourselves

WHEREAS, the AFT and its affiliates began a three-year, multipronged campaign in 2023 to put people over profits when it comes to care, to improve conditions for healthcare workers, and to strengthen healthcare outcomes for the patients we serve. Over these two years, we have combatted the impacts of increasing corporatization and consolidation in healthcare, fought against unsafe staffing levels and unsafe working conditions, the rapid attrition of experienced staff, compromised patient care, and unprecedented burnout and moral injury among healthcare professionals; and

WHEREAS, AFT affiliates embraced this campaign, developing and implementing strategic Code Red plans in their respective states to win real staffing and safety protections through state legislation and collective bargaining; improve retention and recruitment; reduce healthcare inequities; revitalize the healthcare education infrastructure; foster mentoring for new healthcare workers, and counter the impacts of corporatization and consolidation at the federal, state and local levels; and

WHEREAS, AFT affiliates made major strides in the first year of the campaign, including legislative victories in Oregon, Washington and Connecticut, and bargaining wins in many affiliates through smart campaigns and through investment in leadership development and membership engagement for the campaign and beyond; community outreach; education; smart communications strategies; partnership with other unions and organizations; and collaboration with one another; and

WHEREAS, in the second year of the campaign, we have achieved legislative gains in workplace violence prevention in one affiliate and are preparing legislative and bargaining campaigns in others; and

WHEREAS, this has also inspired new organizing, with AFT winning 75 healthcare elections since the 2022 convention. With these thousands of new members, we have increased density in our respective states and have become the fastest-growing union of healthcare professionals in the United States:

RESOLVED, that the AFT will recommit to the Code Red Campaign for the next two years with our focus on:

1. Worker safety protections, especially workplace violence prevention—in bargaining, and in state and federal legislation and regulations;
2. Continuing to work for safe staffing, including enforceable staffing ratios—in legislation and bargaining, and in implementation of new laws;
3. Organizing among healthcare professionals to provide effective union representation;
4. Advocating for equity and investment in education, training and mentorship programs;
5. Prioritizing growing the healthcare workforce pipeline through career and technical education programs in K-12 and higher education settings; and
6. Federal and state oversight of private equity investment and consolidation.