2006, HPAE's membership stood at nearly 11,000, or nearly three times the number at the time of the Jersey Shore strike. The union's organizing program ran the breadth and length of New Jersey, extending into the Camden-Philadelphia market in 1996. In 2016, HPAE represents 13,000 nurses and healthcare workers in a variety of healthcare settings. The union's political and legislative program proved equally as effective. In 1997, HPAE won amendments to NJ's whistleblower law, providing specific protections for healthcare professionals who report unsafe patient care conditions. A safe needle law followed in 2000, and a ban on mandatory overtime in 2002. And in 2005, the union won passage of a law requiring public disclosure of nurse-to-patient staffing levels in hospitals and nursing homes. HPAE's transformation did not go unnoticed. Twomey's image appeared on the cover of the first issue of the AFL-CIO's new America@Work publication in November 1996. Twomey was elected to the AFT executive council in 2000, becoming only the second health care leader to sit on that body. Current projects In 2004, HPAE aligned the majority of its contracts in order to set standards for care and for workplace rights. In 2006, the union began coordinated bargaining with all 20 employers. One contract expired on March 31, and the remainder expired on May 31, 2006. HPAE also led efforts to require transparency and accountability in NJ hospitals, particularly in the for-profit takeovers. In 2014, HPAE began a strategic planning process to help address the many challenges of hospital mergers and the intrusion of for profit hospitals into NJ. HPAE is currently implementing its second strategic plan, in response to changes in the healthcare industry. HPAE leaders and members are focusing on addressing the challenges from hospital system mergers and re-focusing their efforts to win safe staffing legislation. HPAE was and continues to be a leader in ' CPRSS', the Coalition for Patient Rights and Safe Staffing. HPAE has continued to grow -from 4000 members in 1994 to 13,000 members in 2016, with the newest local of social workers and addiction counselors at American Addiction Centers in NJ. References 1975 establishments in the United States