Dear friends -

?

SB 275,?The Healthcare and Essential Workers Protection Act,?will require healthcare providers and the state to have a stockpile of personal protective equipment (PPE) for use by Healthcare and Essential workers during an emergency. California and healthcare employers failed to prepare for a crisis like the current SARS-COV-2 pandemic. Inadequate supplies of unexpired PPE left healthcare workers vulnerable to infection and death, with some resorting to using homemade PPE like bandanas and trash bags. The lack of PPE also harms patients who come into contact with potentially exposed workers or through cross-contamination through the reuse of PPE.

?

We must prepare for an emergency before it is upon us. SB 275 ensures that healthcare and essential workers have equitable access to PPE in the event of a pandemic or other health emergency by requiring 90-day pandemic level stockpiles while also encouraging in-state manufacturing of PPE to ensure a reliable supply. We must ensure that during these crucial moments that our healthcare workers can continue saving lives.?

Here's how to help:

1. Download and edit this?Sample Letter.
2. Print it out, sign-it, and scan your signed copy (you can use your phone's camera).
3. Email it to myself and Griselda Mariscal from SEIU-UHW:?[email protected], [email protected]?