W
hen rn beth bayer left her job at a union hospital in Wis-
consin and moved to New Orleans, she told herself she
would never again work at a non-unionized facility.
"Then I realized I had no options. There was no such thing," said
Bayer. So she and her colleagues at New Orleans' University Medical
Center (UMC) made history when they organized with NNU in
December of 2023, becoming the first unionized private-sector hospi-
tal in Louisiana. Nearly a year later, Bayer stood surrounded by RNs
from across the country at NNU's convention, held in New Orleans
in late September, feeling not only the collective power of knowing
she and her colleagues had a union—but also the next-level solidarity
that comes from belonging to a union representing RNs nationwide.
"I'm thrilled to be here," said Bayer. "Hopefully UMC will be
the flagship, and we will spread unionization throughout the state
of Louisiana and throughout the South."
The UMC nurses' historic victory embodied the convention
theme, "Visionaries," celebrating how union nurses are constantly
envisioning workplaces and communities that center care, not
profit, and fighting to make their vision a reality. Fifteen years
ago, union RNs dared to dream big by launching National Nurses
United. This year's 15th anniversary convention was a testament
to how much NNU has grown since then, in numbers and in nurse
power.
O C T O B E R | N O V E M B E R | D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 4 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 17
Perfect
Vision
As NNU marks its 15th anniversary,
nurses celebrate visionary leaders
from before and into the future
BY K A R I J O N E S
