Madison –The Senate Committee on Labor, Elections and Urban Affairs voted yesterday 3-1 in favor of SB 512, which seeks to ban mandatory overtime for health care professionals. While mandatory overtime had been traditionally used only during extreme emergencies, an increasing number of hospitals now use it as a regular practice to fill permanent holes in their staffing schedules. The dramatic deterioration of working conditions has driven many nurses out of the profession, and many others into non-direct care settings.

The registered nurses and health professionals of SEIU thanked Senators Spencer Coggs, Robert Wirch, and John Lehman for taking a stand and voting in support of the ban and further praised Senator Judy Robson for leading in sponsorship of the bill.

“SEIU health care professionals appreciate the Senate Committee’s commitment to quality patient care,” stated Dian Palmer, a registered nurse and president of SEIU Healthcare District 1199 in Wisconsin.

The bill is currently being scheduled to be presented to the full state senate.