Issue link: https://nnumagazine.uberflip.com/i/133050
TOC_Layout 1 11/29/11 10:14 PM Page 2 Letter from the Council of Presidents besides fighting like hell for safe patient staffing ratios and quality healthcare for everyone, we NNU nurses now have one more thing in common with our RN colleagues in Australia, Ireland, France, and South Korea: We all are calling for our governments to pass a global financial transaction tax that would raise billions of dollars to help save the lives and futures of our patients. On Nov. 3, nurses from four continents met up in Cannes, France to participate in demonstrations calling for world leaders convening at the G-20 summit there to pass a financial transaction tax (FTT)—essentially a tiny sales tax on trades of stocks, bonds, derivatives, and other financial instruments—that could be used to help create decent jobs, buttress education, provide healthcare, and a whole lot of other things working people desperate need now. We were joined by international labor group Public Services International, the International Trade Union Confederation, and antipoverty groups like Oxfam International. Together, we made the case for an FTT and did our part in a global day of action that included NNU rallies and marches in Washington, D.C., San Francisco, and Los Angeles. The next day, President Obama actually softened his stance against an FTT, so our protest appears to be working! Please read the article in this issue about our Nov. 3 events to learn more about how nurses are part of a global movement to win FTTs in all major markets. While we are on the subject of fairness and equity, in this issue we also have a feature story exploring racism against NATIONAL NURSE,™ (ISSN 2153-0386 print/ISSN 2153-0394 online) The Voice of National Nurses United, October 2011 Volume 107/8 is published by National Nurses United, 2000 Franklin Street, Oakland, CA 94612-2908. It provides news of organizational activities and reports on developments of concern to all registered nurses across the nation. It also carries general coverage and commentary on matters of nursing practice, community and public health, and healthcare policy. It is published monthly except for Filipino registered nurses. While nurses of other ethnicities and nationalities also experience discrimination, we focused on Filipino RNs because they constitute such a large and essential part of the U.S. RN workforce. They are often singled out for unfair treatment, denied promotions, or in the case of some hospitals, denied jobs. We hope that the article helps nurses from all walks of life to better understand the obstacles some of their Filipino colleagues face and to speak up against injustice wherever or whenever it happens. On a happy note, California RNs recently helped pass the nation's strongest safe lift law, which requires all acutecare hospitals to train staff members and have equipment on hand to eliminate the manual lifting of patients. Also, University of Michigan Health System nurses just won a new contract; their intense organizing of their coworkers along with the community paid off. Lastly, in this issue we report on our medical volunteer work at many of the Occupy sites around the country. As of press time, our first aid stations in Oakland and in New York City have been destroyed, but our spirit remains strong and the movement is simply regrouping. Please join us to help guide and heal America. Deborah Burger, RN | Karen Higgins, RN | Jean Ross, RN National Nurses United Council of Presidents combined issues in January and February, and July and August. Periodicals postage paid at Oakland, California. POSTMASTER: send address changes to National Nurse, 2000 ™ Franklin Street, Oakland, CA 94612-2908. To send a media release or announcement, fax (510) 663-0629. National Nurse™ is carried on the NNU website at www.nationalnursesunited.org. For permission to reprint articles, write to Editorial Office. To subscribe, send $40 ($45 foreign) to Subscription Department. Stay connected www.facebook.com/NationalNurses www.flickr.com/nationalnursesunited TWITTER: @RNmagazine, @NationalNurses YOUTUBE: www.youtube.com/NationalNursesUnited FACEBOOK: FLICKR: Please contact us with your story ideas They can be about practice or management trends you've observed, or simply something new you've encountered in the profession. They can be about one nurse, unit, or hospital, or about the wider landscape of healthcare policy from an RN's perspective. They can be humorous, or a matter of life and death. If you're a writer and would like to contribute an article, please let us know. You can reach us at nationalnurse@nationalnursesunited.org EXECUTIVE EDITOR RoseAnn DeMoro EDITOR Lucia Hwang GRAPHIC DESIGN Jonathan Wieder COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR Charles Idelson CONTRIBUTORS Gerard Brogan, RN, Hedy Dumpel, RN, JD, Jan Rabbers, Donna Smith, David Schildmeier, Ann Kettering Sincox PHOTOGRAPHY Jaclyn Higgs, Tad Keyes