Hospital and Health Care Employees Back Haaland for Governor

Today, the National Union of Hospital and Health Care Employees District 1199NM endorsed Deb Haaland to be the next governor of New Mexico. 

District 1199NM represents hospital and healthcare workers across the state, by advocating for higher wages, shorter hours, health and benefits, and improved working conditions. District 1199NM joins unions across New Mexico who have shown their support and endorsed Haaland to be the next governor of New Mexico. 

“District 1199NM has stood up for frontline healthcare workers to ensure that they can build up our communities by helping patients when they are sick, and preventing patients from getting sicker,” said Haaland. “As governor, I will work tirelessly to ensure that our hospital and healthcare employees are supported and have the resources they need to safely do their jobs.”

“Strong communities start with safe healthcare. We’re proud to back Deb Haaland for Governor because we know she will fight for safe staffing ratios and fair workplace protections for New Mexico’s frontline healthcare workers,” 1199 NM District President Yolanda Avila-Ulmer said. 

Throughout her campaign, Haaland has traveled to all 33 counties across New Mexico and met with families sharing the same stories in different voices: the nurse in Gallup who can’t find enough colleagues to safely staff her unit, the Tribal member who does not have access to reliable transportation for their appointment, the family in Roswell who travels three hours for a specialist, the small business owner in Espanola who can’t afford to insure his employees. 

Haaland has firsthand experience with the challenges of our healthcare system – as a single parent, she navigated rural healthcare, and utilized Medicaid. In Congress, Haaland fought to strengthen the Affordable Care Act, expand residency programs, and address workforce shortages in healthcare. As Secretary of the Interior, she worked to expand mental health resources in schools, and expand healthcare access for Tribes. As governor, Haaland will address the shortage of healthcare providers, fight to protect access to healthcare, and ensure the state is always fighting for healthier communities so every New Mexican can get the care they need.