United Nurses & Allied Professionals Endorses Kim Ahern for Rhode Island Attorney General

Via UNAP (PROVIDENCE, RI) — The United Nurses and Allied Professionals (UNAP), Rhode Island’s largest health care workers’ union, representing more than 5,500 Rhode Island members, has endorsed Kim Ahern for Rhode Island Attorney General.

“The UNAP has worked very closely with the Rhode Island Attorney General’s office for years – especially the last few years as our health care system, hospitals, and health care workers have faced immense challenges. We need someone leading this office who is smart, competent, energetic, and willing to boldly tackle the many challenges facing our health care system. Kim Ahern is that candidate and that’s why we have endorsed her in the Democratic Primary for Attorney General.

“The Attorney General’s office plays an important role in many critical health care issues that impact our members. With Prospect CharterCARE going into bankruptcy, we worked closely with the Attorney General to ensure that Fatima Hospital and Roger Williams Medical Center continued operations, our members kept their jobs, and patients didn’t lose these important community hospitals. We are facing other issues as well – a major nursing shortage, short staffing, hospital funding and lagging Medicaid reimbursement rates, mental health and developmental disability funding, mandatory overtime, workplace violence, and the overtaking of local hospitals by for-profit entities that are more concerned about their bottom line than they are about treating workers fairly and providing quality health care. Kim has a deep understanding of these issues, and we trust that she will use the office to protect our health care system, our hospitals, our nurses and health professionals, and the patients who rely on them. We are excited to support her in the Democratic Primary Special Election this September.” – Lynn Blais, President, United Nurses & Allied Professionals

“I am truly honored to be endorsed by UNAP and to stand side-by-side in this election with Rhode Island’s nurses, technologists, therapists, support staff, and other health care workers. Our state is facing a health care crisis, and we have a responsibility to protect the people and institutions who care for our community. I’m proud to have the support of the hardworking women and men of UNAP, and as Rhode Island’s next Attorney General, I will carry their trust forward in this critical fight for our health care.” – Kim Ahern

The union plans to run a comprehensive member to member Get Out The Vote (GOTV) effort, including direct mail, phone banking, door-to-door canvassing and early voting efforts, in support of Kim Ahern’s campaign.

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