Republicans Insert CNA Training Hour Reduction Into COVID-19 Relief Package

Bald-faced Hutzpah of Republicans to insert CNA Training Hour Reduction Into COVID-19 Relief Package

Wisconsin AFL-CIO President Stephanie Bloomingdale made the following statement as the Wisconsin Legislature takes up the COVID-19 relief bill:

It is vitally important the Wisconsin State Legislature pass legislation to ensure that our workers receive the federal dollars that have been appropriated to help us move forward and through the COVID-19 public health emergency.

However, we are shocked at the bald-faced hutzpah of the Republicans to insert a measure to reduce the training of certified nursing assistants (CNAs) by nearly half. Including this provision in our coronavirus relief package is brazenly opportunistic. Republicans are using a pandemic crisis bill to do what they couldn’t do in an above-board democratic process when they were unable to override Governor Tony Evers’ veto last year.

It is truly shameful that Republicans are using this opportunity to reduce the training for CNAs who work in a wide variety of healthcare settings, including nursing homes that are currently being ravaged by the coronavirus. 

We’ve seen the danger this pandemic presents to even the most well prepared frontline health care workers.  Adequate training is needed now more than ever.