National Nurses United

J U LY | A U G U S T | S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 8 W W W . N A T I O N A L N U R S E S U N I T E D . O R G N A T I O N A L N U R S E 9 A s a resident of earth- quake country, here in Cali- fornia, I've begun to think of current events in seismic terms. When corporate forces try to undermine unions, each blow—over decades of damag- ing attacks on workers' rights—is setting the stage for "The Big One." Earlier this summer, the supreme court decision in Janus v. AFSCME attacked public sector unions by encouraging mem - bers to legal ly shirk their dues. It's impor- tant to re member, however, that Janus was a foreshock, and now, there's still another major shake-up to come. One worker alone, with no protection, cannot force an employer to make public and worker health and safety a priority, over profits. Our corporate employers know this. So it is no secret that every effort will be made to divide unionized workers on the widest scale possible. To that end, the article on page 10 outlines in greater detail the push for a federal "right- to-work" law that will cover the entire coun- try at once. The big one, so to speak. Corporate forces hope a federal right to work law will be a disaster for unions, relying on the idea that they can shake worker solidarity until it cracks. Fortunately, in the name of patient and RN health and safety, nurses will never let that happen. Our unity cannot be broken. So just as people do when they know a natural disaster is on the horizon, NNU RNs are preparing, shoring up our foundation, making sure all the necessary supplies are in place to survive and thrive through whatev- er comes our way. Here are some practical steps to remain union strong: Always be one step ahead. NNU public- sector nurses were preparing long before the Janus decision came down, signing pledge cards, speaking with colleagues, and educating their fellow nurses and the community. NNU held public-sector leadership meetings through- out the country this past year, and gathering public-sector nurse leaders to strategize about retaining and growing mem bership. And their hard work has paid off; Janus has not weak- ened our amazing public-sector RN solidarity. (Nice try, corporate America.) Organize as a regular practice. NNU members who already live in right-to-work states also show us how it's done, consistently organizing to keep their membership numbers up. In this issue's feature story, you'll learn more about RN Marissa Lee, a CNA/NNOC board member at Osceola Regional Medical Center in right-to-work Florida where paying dues is "optional." Her hospital enjoys a high union membership rate, accomplished largely through "building rela- tionships" and "constant contact with the nurses," says Lee. We all have the power to talk to our fellow RNs, to know what matters to them most, and to keep them connected to the union as a source of protection and strength. Educate, educate, educate. NNU wins strong contracts that ensure safe working conditions, protect nurses' rights, and improve wages and benefits so that we can focus on what we do best: caring for our patients. It's always a good time to educate our fellow RNs on what their collective voice is doing, how the union contract benefits them, and what attacks are coming our way to try to break our solidarity, so we can be prepared. Knowledge is power. Keep taking action, at the bedside and beyond. Collective RN action lets our employ- ers know that an oath of patient advocacy is more than just words. It's critical to remain boldly in motion, on behalf of our patients and colleagues, filling out ADO forms, hold- ing informational pickets to inform the community about unsafe patient care condi- tions, and, when it's necessary, being willing to stand up and strike for our patients. This collective action by mighty NNU nurses is an empowering, visceral reminder that we will always stand together for what's right. In this post-Janus era, with a federal right-to-work attack on the horizon, the more we continue doing all of the above, the more we will ensure that any attacks by corporations or corporate-backed politicians can never, ever shake union nurses apart. And I couldn't be more proud to see examples of this hard work in action. Our VA nurses recently stood up against execu- tive orders attempting to gut federal work- ers' rights, and after attending a major protest rally in Washington, D.C., VA nurses saw major portions of those orders blocked by a federal district judge. Thanks to nurse solidarity, we have also recently reached contract agreements across the United States—from Eastern Maine Medical Center, to Cook County, Illinois, to our 14,000 University of California nurses who reached an agreement on a contract with incredible patient and nurse protec- tions that preserves one of the best RN pension plans in the country. This is the people's resistance, so it is also heartening to see the entire labor movement standing strong. In August, Missouri voters roundly rejected right-to-work legislation in that state. In 2018, we have also seen massive, multistate movements of teachers striking for fair treatment, beginning in West Virginia and spreading to Oklahoma, Colorado, and Arizona. And despite corporations' and their legis- lators' best attempts to cripple membership, more than 260,000 workers joined unions in 2017. In a single week this April, 15,000 workers joined unions. NNU is proud to be part of this organizing trend, with 15 hospi- tals and nearly 5,000 nurses and healthcare workers joining our union over the past year. There is no doubt that the power of work- ing people, UNION power, is on the rise. We know that "the big one" of union attacks is coming, and we also know we are growing stronger every day in preparation, building solidarity that they can never, ever legislate out of existence. We are union nurses. We will not be broken. Bonnie Castillo, RN is executive director of National Nurses United. Bonnie Castillo, RN Executive Director, National Nurses United Unshakable Solidarity With federal right-to-work on the horizon, union attacks are on the rise, but so is union power

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