National Nurses United

LOOK OUT, WORLD! Nurse leaders from 14 countries announce new global nursing organization LEADERS OF THE PREMIER NURSES and healthcare workers unions in 14 nations across the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Europe in June formed a new international organization to step up the fight against the harmful effects of austerity measures, privatization, and cuts in healthcare services that they say are putting people and communities at risk across the planet. Called Global Nurses United, leaders of the initial endorsing countries also plan to work collectively to guarantee the highest standards of universal healthcare as a human right for all, to secure safe patient care, especially with safe nurse-to-patient ratios, and safe workplaces. Endorsers of the declaration, made in San Francisco following National Nurses United's 2013 Staff Nurse Assembly, included top nurse and healthcare worker unions from Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Honduras, Ireland, Israel, the Philippines, South Africa, South Korea, and the United States. Pledging to work together with all healthcare workers and other organizations committed to economic and social justice, the leaders of Global Nurses United said they are also unified in opposition to the adverse effects of income and resource inequality, poverty, attacks on public workers, and the ravages of climate change. As participants noted, there are international union formations of other sectors ranging from teachers to steelworkers. Now nurses have one as well, said enthusiastic GNU participants. The founding meeting was hosted by NNU, the largest U.S. union and organization of nurses, and chaired by NNU's executive director RoseAnn DeMoro. "The unity and determination of nurse JUNE 2013 and healthcare worker unions to come together and push to protect all our people is a profound expression of how deeply the neoliberal agenda is coordinating and devastating countries and lowering standards worldwide," DeMoro said. Taking action, the unions said, will be a major focus of Global Nurses United. GNU members said they will kick off the new organization with actions in member nations in September to coincide with the opening of the next session of the United Nations General Assembly. The focus of the actions will likely be austerity, privatization of health and other public services, and other attacks on health services, with specific actions and targets tailored to national priorities. In the initial meeting June 22, participants in nearly every country described similar crises: the erosion of health and other basic services and public protections, and attacks on the rights, living standards, and—in the case of Guatemalan RN activists who have received death threats—even personal security of nurses and other workers. In every nation, workers are challenging austerity measures imposed by conservative governments or globalized corporate assaults with strikes and other major protests. With Global Nurses United, the unions said they will be able to better coordinate such actions, provide international solidarity, and offer one another support and assistance. As the participants said in their opening declaration, "We, the leaders of international nurses and healthcare unions affirm our intention to work collectively to protect our professions, our patients, our communities, our work, our health, our environment, and our planet." —Staff report 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 AT I O N A L N U R S E 15

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