Standing tall with nurses on Beacon Hill Representative Walsh, Senator Galluccio are strong allies

	Martin Walsh

When workers call, he always answers
Rep. Martin J. Walsh, a Democrat representing the 13th Suffolk District of Boston, has been a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives since 1997. A lifelong resident of Dorchester, Walsh quickly embraced public service as his calling in life. An advocate for children’s issues, substance abuse treatment, and high quality public services, he has served his constituents in Dorchester well. But it is as an advocate for organized labor in Massachusetts that Walsh has really distinguished himself. After completing high school, and long before Walsh entered politics, he followed in his father’s footsteps and worked as a laborer in Laborers Local 223. He wasn’t just a union member, he was a union activist and leader, and from day one in the legislature Marty has continued to be a tireless advocate for labor unions and a vehement opponent of legislation and policy threatening the rights of workers in Massachusetts.

Again this year, as the commonwealth faces yet another difficult budget cycle, state employee health insurance benefits are on the chopping block. And again this year Walsh has readily agreed to lead the fight to protect those important benefits. The MNA represents about 1,800 RNs and health care professionals who work for the state. Those workers face a 67 percent increase in the cost of their health insurance premiums under the schemes presently proposed. Win or lose, we can count on Walsh to fiercely resist this proposal.

“This proposed increase is just unacceptable,” Walsh said. “State employees pay more for their health insurance every year. Between rising premiums and exorbitant co-pays and deductibles, state employees are paying more out of pocket than ever.”

We also count Walsh as one of the strongest supporters of H.2059, The Patient Safety Act, which would set a safe limit on the number of patients that a hospital nurse has to care for at once. “It is time for action on this issue,” said Walsh. “Study after study has demonstrated the connection between nurses forced to care for too many patients at once and poor patient outcomes. Still, the hospital industry resists this commonsense reform. It is time for the legislature to pass H.2059.”

No matter the issue on organized labor’s agenda, we can count on Walsh to take the lead on fighting for workers.

	Anthony Galluccio

New senator, long track record
State Sen. Anthony Galluccio (D-Cambridge) is one of the newest members of the Massachusetts State Senate. He won a special election to fill the seat previously held by Jarrett Barrios in October of last year, so he has been serving in the Senate for just a few months. But despite his short tenure in the state legislature, Galluccio has a long track record of supporting MNA members. It was this track record that led the Mass Nurses PAC to endorse him in his race for the Senate last year, and it is this same track record that gives our members such a high degree of confidence in his willingness to fight hard for them.

Prior to his election to the Senate, Galluccio was a member of the Cambridge City Council for 14 years and was first elected in 1994. He was in that role when Cambridge Hospital changed from a city-based facility to a public health commission. He fought hard throughout that process to protect community-based, quality health care services, and led the effort to create the Cambridge Health Alliance (Cambridge Hospital, Somerville Hospital, Whidden Hospital and related neighborhood health clinics) so as to preserve those services. But Galluccio wasn’t just interested in protecting services – he was also passionately committed to protecting employees. He insisted that the employees of Cambridge Hospital maintain their hard-won wages and benefits.

“Anthony Galluccio fought to protect the pensions and health insurance benefits of the nurses at Cambridge Hospital,” said Donna Kelly-Williams, chair of the Cambridge bargaining unit and Vice President of the MNA. “We turned to him again and again for help, and he was always there for us.”

Now that he’s in the Senate, the battle looming for RNs is the fight over H.2059, The Patient Safety Act, which would set a safe limit on the number of patients that a hospital nurse has to care for at once. In that fight, we know that Galluccio will be one of our strongest supporters. In fact, Galluccio, a member of the legislature’s Public Health Committee, pledged his public support for the bill at a public hearing on Oct.24 as one of his first acts as a Senator.

“Quality health care was one of the key issues during my campaign,” said Galluccio. “H.2059 is critically important to quality health care, along with the many professional development enhancements within the bill.”

Our members look forward to continuing to work with their old friend and ally, now-Senator Galluccio.

Washington Lobbying: A spirited group of MNA members traveled to Washington in February to lobby members of the Massachusetts Congressional delegation — including Senator Kennedy — on a range of important issues.