Does this sound familiar? You're working a 12-hour shift. All you've had for breakfast is a few sips of coffee. There's been no time to eat, not even time for a bathroom break. You know there are state regulations protecting your rights to have meal and rest breaks--sometimes it's hard to enforce these rules, but at least they exist and you're going to keep fighting. Now some poweful interests in California are trying to weaken these regulations and make it even harder for working people, including health care professionals, to get breaks. Our patients depend on us to be well rested and alert so we can deliver the quality care they deserve. Send a fax to the labor commissioner urging her to stop the lunch break take away.

Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,

I am a health care professional, and my patients count on me to be well rested and alert so I can help them recover from their illnesses and injuries. Right now, it's hard enough for me and my colleagues to get breaks guaranteed to us by state regulations.

This very day, there are health care workers missing meals and working through breaks, in part due to dedication to their patients, but in part due to poor staffing and intimidation by their supervisors to avoid paying overtime.

Now I hear that some employers want you to change the regulations, which would make it even more difficult for us to get the breaks we need to protect our patients.

Loosening the rules would have grave consequences. Hungry, exhausted health care professionals are prone to make mistakes and can't give patients the full attention they deserve. Please think about whether you'd want a nurse who'd worked all day without meals or breaks taking care of your critically ill child or parent.

If you attack humane rules on breaks, you will endanger patients. Please support safe patient care and healthy work environoments. Rather than weakening the regulations on meals and breaks, please enforce current rules better and consider strengthening them.

Sincerely,

Campaign Launched:
August 10, 2007