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New in @Health_Affairs: Can labor unions reduce COVID-19 deaths in nursing homes? @atheendar @simkimmel and I find that unions were associated with a 30% relative decrease in COVID-19 mortality rates compared to non-union nursing homes.
https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/full/10.1377/hlthaff.2020.01011
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https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/full/10.1377/hlthaff.2020.01011
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How did unions like @1199SEIU and @nynurses do this?
They demanded PPE that not only protected health care workers, but also reduced the spread of COVID-19 between workers and residents.
As some union protesters put it, “If we work sick, you get sick.” https://nypost.com/2020/04/20/nurses-sue-new-york-state-health-department-over-ppe-failures/
They demanded PPE that not only protected health care workers, but also reduced the spread of COVID-19 between workers and residents.
As some union protesters put it, “If we work sick, you get sick.” https://nypost.com/2020/04/20/nurses-sue-new-york-state-health-department-over-ppe-failures/
These protests and other union tactics seem to have worked.
Our study finds that unionized facilities were more 13.8% more likely to provide workers with N95 masks and 7.3% more likely to provide eye shields.
Our study finds that unionized facilities were more 13.8% more likely to provide workers with N95 masks and 7.3% more likely to provide eye shields.
@snaidunl and @awh also find that unionized workers in essential industries are more likely to get PPE.
https://rooseveltinstitute.org/publications/understanding-the-covid-19-workplace-evidence-from-a-survey-of-essential-workers/
@arindube @willpjones3 @toddntucker @LarryMishel @HBoushey @greenhousenyt @JakeRosenfeld1 @aaronsojourner @jamiekmccallum make similar arguments.
https://rooseveltinstitute.org/publications/understanding-the-covid-19-workplace-evidence-from-a-survey-of-essential-workers/
@arindube @willpjones3 @toddntucker @LarryMishel @HBoushey @greenhousenyt @JakeRosenfeld1 @aaronsojourner @jamiekmccallum make similar arguments.
And access to PPE is crucial:
@DavidCGrabowski and @ml_barnett find that nursing homes that lacked PPE were more likely to have COVID-19 outbreaks.
https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/10.1377/hlthaff.2020.01269
@gregggonsalves @ashishkjha @nataliexdean @zeynep @haroldpollack also write about the benefits of PPE.
@DavidCGrabowski and @ml_barnett find that nursing homes that lacked PPE were more likely to have COVID-19 outbreaks.
https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/10.1377/hlthaff.2020.01269
@gregggonsalves @ashishkjha @nataliexdean @zeynep @haroldpollack also write about the benefits of PPE.
In NY nursing homes, labor unions may have averted roughly 1,000 COVID-19 deaths.
The American public has an interest in ensuring that workers can join unions.
The American public has an interest in ensuring that workers can join unions.
