Health Professionals and Allied Employees (HPAE) is a labor union representing nurses and other health care professionals in New Jersey and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ¹ It claims to be the largest health care union in New Jersey, representing 13,444 members across 25 locals. ^{2 3}

It is an affiliate of the American Federation of Teachers’ AFT Healthcare division and the New Jersey State AFL-CIO. ³

Lobbying and Activism

The Health Professionals and Allied Employees union is politically active in New Jersey, promoting the interests of its members and broadly supporting Democratic Party candidates and left-of-center causes. ^{4 5}

In 2024, the national American Federation of Teachers made $76,267 in grants to HPAE’s political action committee. ⁶

HPAE promotes so-called “safe staffing” legislation that would mandate specific nurse-to-patient ratios in hospitals and surgical facilities and create civil penalties for facilities that violated those ratios. ^{7 8} Health care employers oppose the legislation, arguing that Medicaid and other insurers do not pay hospitals enough to fund those required staffing levels. ⁹

HPAE also lobbies for significant state funding for University Hospital in Newark, which it singles out as the only publicly owned hospital in the state. ¹⁰ In 2022, HPAE asked Governor Phil Murphy (D-NJ) to spend at least $600 million of New Jersey’s federal COVID recovery funding on building a new campus for the hospital. ¹⁰ In 2024, the World Socialist Web Site criticized HPAE for “betraying the interests” of its members at the hospital by having them continue to work under an expired contract while negotiations for a new contract were ongoing. ¹¹

Retirement Fund Controversy

The Health Professionals and Allied Employees operates a retiree medical trust that reimburses health insurance premiums and some medical expenses for 14,700 eligible members and their dependents. In 2023, the trust reported $35,570,630 in assets. ¹²

In 2013, five health care professionals who were either members or paid dues to HPAE sued the union and its then-president Ann Twomey for mismanaging the fund, alleging that a law firm owned by Twomey’s romantic partner had received no-bid or preferential contracts to handle the fund’s legal needs. ¹³ The union, in turn, characterized lead plaintiff Kathi Fonti as “a former union officer who pled guilty in June of 2009 for using union funds for personal use.”¹⁴

The lawsuit was dismissed, with the judge finding that even though Twomey’s partner’s law firm had in fact received seemingly preferential treatment, Twomey did not have a formal fiduciary role in the plan that would create a conflict of interest. ¹³

1. “Who We Are.” Health Professionals & Allied Employees. Accessed February 24, 2025. https://www.hpae.org/our-union/
2. ^[1] “Who We Are.” Health Professionals & Allied Employees. Accessed February 24, 2025. https://www.hpae.org/our-union/.
3.  “FORM LM-2 LABOR ORGANIZATION ANNUAL REPORT.” United States Department of Labor, September 27, 2024. https://olmsapps.dol.gov/query/orgReport.do?rptId=898682&rptForm=LM2Form.
4. “Election Center.” Health Professionals & Allied Employees. Accessed February 24, 2025. https://www.hpae.org/campaigns/election-center-2024/.
5. “Committee on Political Education (COPE).” Health Professionals & Allied Employees. Accessed February 24, 2025. https://www.hpae.org/campaigns/committee-political-education-cope/.
6. “FORM LM-2 LABOR ORGANIZATION ANNUAL REPORT.” United States Department of Labor, September 27, 2024. https://olmsapps.dol.gov/query/orgReport.do?rptId=898876&rptForm=LM2Form.
7. “Campaign for Patient Safety and Safe Staffing.” Health Professionals & Allied Employees. Accessed February 24, 2025. https://www.hpae.org/campaigns/campaign-for-safe-staffing-legislation/.
8. Simpson, William B., Carol A. Murphy, and Annette Quinano. “Bill A3683 – Session 2024-2025.” New Jersey Legislature, February 12, 2024. https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/bill-search/2024/A3683/bill-text?f=A4000&n=3683_I1.
9. Sherman, Ted, and Susan K. Livio. “The FEDS Call for More Nursing Home Staffing. Can N.J. Long-Term Care Facilities Comply?” NJ.com, April 25, 2024. https://www.nj.com/politics/2024/04/the-feds-call-for-more-nursing-home-staffing-can-nj-long-term-care-facilities-comply.html.
10. “NJ’s Only Public Hospital Needs a State-of-the-Art Medical Campus.” Health Professionals & Allied Employees. Accessed February 24, 2025. https://www.hpae.org/campaigns/njs-only-public-hospital-needs-a-state-of-the-art-medical-campus/.
11. Schreiber, Erik. “University Hospital and HPAE Union Conspiring against Nurses in Newark, New Jersey.” World Socialist Web Site, October 6, 2024. https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2024/10/07/zscy-o07.html.
12. “Health Professionals & Allied EMP AST AFL CIO Retiree Medical TR.” ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, 2024. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/686254830.
13. Fonti V. Health prof’ls, Civil Action No. 13-4231 (es) (JAD) | casetext search + citator. Accessed February 24, 2025. https://casetext.com/case/fonti-v-health-professionals-allied-emps-2.
14. “Statement of HPAE President Ann Twomey Re Lawsuit and Smear Attacks on Facebook.” Health Professionals & Allied Employees, July 2013. https://www.hpae.org/2013/07/statement-of-hpae-president-ann-twomey-re-lawsuit-and-smear-attacks-on-facebook/.