National Federation of Nurses affiliates with the AFT

The leaders of two labor organizations representing healthcare professionals announced on Feb. 14 that they have approved an affiliation agreement that will bring 34,000 registered nurses into the AFT. The National Federation of Nurses, which represents nurses across the country, will affiliate with the AFT, whose 1.5 million members include more than 48,000 nurses and thousands of other healthcare professionals. "This partnership solidifies the unity between those who nurture body and mind—those who heal our communities with those who educate our children," says AFT president Randi Weingarten. "But nurturers need muscle to advocate on behalf of the students and patients they serve. The affiliation is great news for nurses, their patients and patient care." Barbara Crane, a registered nurse and president of the NFN, says, "A strong voice for nurses is particularly important now in this time of transition, when America's healthcare system is being redesigned. Nurses are the most trusted healthcare providers, and this new partnership with the AFT will enable us to continue to be the voice for the patients we serve."

AFT Disappointed by Treasury Department’s Ruling on Health Coverage

AFT Disappointed by Treasury Department’s Ruling on Health Coverage

AFT’s Weingarten says health exchanges “were intended to improve access to affordable health insurance. This ruling makes achieving that goal more difficult.

WASHINGTON—Statement of American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten on a U.S. Treasury Department ruling yesterday that leaves certain employees’ family members without health coverage:

“The AFT is very disappointed by the U. S. Treasury Department’s ruling that an employee’s family members are excluded from the health exchange subsidies if the employee has affordable individual coverage through his or her employer. 

“Exchanges, which will become operational by Jan. 1, 2014, were intended to improve access to affordable health insurance. This ruling makes achieving that goal more difficult. Too many people cannot afford to pay for the family health coverage offered by their employers.

“The AFT had urged federal regulators to consider the cost of family coverage when determining eligibility for exchange subsidies. Even though providing affordable health exchange coverage to families would now entail a significant and costly revision of the law, we are calling on Congress and the administration to correct this inequity that stands to leave too many Americans without healthcare coverage.”

Follow AFT President Randi Weingarten: http://twitter.com/rweingarten