Frederica Wilson: “For these reasons, I urge every Member to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 1309, the Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care…”

“For these reasons, I urge every Member to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 1309, the Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act. Mr. Chair, I include in the Record a letter in support of this legislation from the American Federation of Teachers. Washington, DC, November 19, 2019. House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Representative: On behalf of the 1.7 million members of the American Federation of Teachers, including 170,000 healthcare workers, I strongly urge you to vote YES on H.R. 1309, the Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act. I also want to thank Rep. Joe Courtney (D-Conn.) for his leadership on this bill and for his steadfast commitment to protecting all healthcare workers. When healthcare professionals show up to work, they shouldn't have to worry about whether they are going to be injured in an assault. Sadly, healthcare and social service workers are nearly five times more likely to be assaulted while on the job than the rest of our workforce. The costs of this violence are high: in injury rates, in professionals being driven from doing the work they love, and in workers' compensation claims and staff shortages. H.R. 1309 would require hospitals and other facilities to develop and implement comprehensive violence prevention plans and provide whistleblower protections for nurses and other workers facing violence.…”