At this week's historic founding of National Nurses United (NNU) the new, national union of registered nurses, executive director Rose Ann DeMoro reminded all of us that:
"RNs can be the most powerful voice in this country. It is our responsibility, as NNU, to be agents of change, to be the warriors we've admired in history, to inspire the nurses of this country that this is their home."
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In other words, it is entirely appropriate that the first action taken by this new national union of RNs was a march of the local Hospital Association, protesting its harassment of nurse activists and its record of cutting corners on patient safety:
NNU's founding isn't just a good day for nurses, nor just for a labor movement that is bolstered by the creation of a fast-growing union in a key area of the economy. This isn't just good news for healthcare advocates or progressives.
In reality, every patient in this country--and every person who loves them--will ultimately be affected the creation and growth of this union, because it is committed to a high-profile agenda of patient safety reforms. This surging new union
As Reuters pointed out:
Plans to organize nonunion nurses go hand-in-hand with ongoing efforts to end mandatory overtime for nurses and other cost-cutting hospital practices that nursing advocates say have stretched patient care too thin. The focus on patient care also figures in the union's aim to seek passage of federal legislation setting national standards for nurse staffing levels....
Here are some of the faces of this fast-growing new union that delegates voted unanimously to found. Let the celebration begin:
Presidents Karen Higgins RN, Jean Ross RN, and Deborah Burger RN embrace:
Afterwards, Karen told the San Francisco Chronicle: "We're just thrilled we are finally all moving forward together, and we're expecting that we will be able to play a much bigger role in the healthcare debate in the future."
The Arizona Hospital and Healthcare Association, and the rest of the hospital industry, should get ready to finally have to listen to RNs and respect their opinions. As new President Jean Ross said at this protest, "we will not be silenced and we will not be stopped."
NNU Vice Presidents Zenei Cortez, RN (left) and Malinda Markowitz, RN, ponders the steps that are being taken at this historic founding convention:
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Nurses like Zenei are whom business magazine Portfolio was referring to by saying, "Hospitals gain bigger foe as nurses unions unite."
NNU executive director Rose Ann DeMoro: "RNs can be the most powerful voice in this country. It is our responsibility, as NNU, to be agents of change, to be the warriors we've admired in history, to inspire the nurses of this country that this is their home."
Brenda Langford, RN, a vice president of National Nurses United, speaks of the crisis of public health in our nation:
This is the largest nurses union in U.S. history, with members in all 50 states, such as these from Massachusetts:
The Michigan Nurses Association is also a major component of NNU, leading the Flint, Mich. Journal to lay out the goals of the new union:
- Advance the interests of direct care nurses and patients across the U.S.
- Organize all direct care RNs "into a single organization capable of exercising influence over the healthcare industry, governments, and employers."
- Promote effective collective bargaining representation to all NNU affiliates to promote the economic and professional interests of all direct care RNs.
- Expand the voice of direct care RNs and patients in public policy, including the enactment of safe nurse-to-patient ratios and patient advocacy rights in Congress and every state.
- Win "healthcare justice, accessible, quality healthcare for all, as a human right."
It will never be easy, but we will stand for our patients. Hospital associations across the country can expect more of this!
As new President Deborah Burger, RN, put it:
"What we believe it will accomplish is to provide strength in numbers, and with unification of state nurses associations to speak with one voice on patient advocacy, healthcare reform, workplace advocacy, the nursing profession, and how we move this country forward. Working together we’ll be out there nationally," continuing CNA’s strong support for a single-payer healthcare system.
Even before the founding convention, RNs from across the nation were getting together to press for labor law reform...here 1000 nurses march on Sen. Dianne Feinstein's house
For those interested in learning more, visit the new NNU Web site or check out the reports below:
Report from a California Nurse
Boston Globe
Modern Healthcare
In These Times
Crain’s Business Detroit
Phoenix Business Journal
Off the Charts: American Journal of Nursing blog
Madness: Tales of an ER Nurse
AFLCIO Now Blog
Health Leaders Media
Roll Call
Report from a Massachusetts Nurse
Arizona Capital Times
Medicine and Technology blog by Dr. Joseph Kim
Kansas City Star
Nurse.com