Union leaders applaud state action, urge continued protection for patients and workers

Faye Gunther, president of USW 3000, praised the governor's executive order and said unions will continue to advocate for patients and frontline health workers. Gunther framed HR 1 as a rollback of ACA-era protections and warned that policy changes will make care more expensive and could trigger layoffs and service reductions: "Trump is now trying to reverse our progress and make everything harder and more expensive for working people."

Gunther and other labor and provider representatives at the event said they will keep working with state agencies, hospitals and community partners to protect access and keep workers at the bedside. They applauded the state's outreach effort but acknowledged the executive order "won't cover everything" and called for additional steps to protect patients and health workers across Washington.