National Nurses United

Republicans aren't going to save us. Working people are going to save ourselves." "Through our solidarity, we can give new members and people who want to join a union reasons to have faith in fighting for what we believe in," said CNA/NNOC President Cokie Giles, RN. "This is our time to get louder, get bigger, and get stronger." Part of achieving a healthier world is also protecting the right of all people to experience joy. So GNSA wasn't all educational ses- sions. Nurses also had an opportunity to dance, to see resistance movement art, and to attend The People Speak, where actors and artists perform dramatic readings of historical documents and make music to tell the story of social movements from the perspective of ordinary people. And no gathering of union nurses would be complete without an opportunity to really flex their collective power. So nurses also marched on the billionaires on the final day of GNSA. In their sea of red shirts, RNs filled San Francisco streets, carrying signs declaring "Our democ- racy is not for sale!" and calling for an end to the genocide in Gaza. As taxi drivers honked and high-fived RNs, and passersby cheered, the nurses chanted, "The nurses, united, can never be defeated!" "This convention has galvanized my resolve to speak out louder than ever before, even in the face of fear," said Lisa LaFave, RN, of San Leandro Hospital in San Leandro, Calif. Vanessa Villareal, RN of Ascension Seton Medical Center in Austin, agreed that GNSA was "reenergizing." As the convention came to a close, she said she is excited to "go back and restructure my unit and get ready to go back to the bargaining table" fueled by what she has learned. "All my fellow nurses are going to hear about this," Fort Walton RN Cristine Corona Otero Octtaviani emphasized. "It's been amaz- ing meeting nurses from all over the world, and what I learned most is everyone is having the same issues we are having here in the United States." With many local fronts to their common, global fight, nurses left GNSA more committed than ever before to win the vision of the future they know their patients deserve, where workplaces are safe, and all people have the right to guaranteed health care and a life filled with all forms of justice and free of war. "Our power grows as more nurses across the country and across the world realize their own power — and the power in our solidarity. Knowing all this, I have only one question for you today," CNA/NNOC President Michelle Gutierrez Vo, RN asked the crowd of cheering GNSA nurses. "What the hell are we wait- ing for? We can do this because we are the nurses. The mighty, mighty nurses!" Kari Jones is a contributing writer for National Nurse. J U LY | A U G U S T | S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 5 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 23 provide social services and include our most underprivileged people," said Caetano, noting that their current President Lula da Silva won by counting on the support of unions and workers. GNU leaders also shared setbacks and victories on safe staffing and health and safety, with many nations experiencing incredibly dangerous working conditions. Guatemalan union leaders, for example, shared that in some areas of their country, nurses care for more than 50 patients at once, for the equivalent of $14-15 per day. GNU member nations including Australia, Canada, and France—in which affiliates have won either federal or state/provincial ratios in recent years—joined NNU in sharing strategies on fighting for safe staff- ing, at the bargaining table, in communities, and in state and federal government. And when it comes to health care workplace protections, NNU and former Minnesota Nurses Association President Mary Turner, RN, emphasized, "Make no mistake, almost all our health and safety legislation we have is because of unions." In discussing a global surge of privatization, Mirna Gallardo, pres- ident of the Paraguayan Nursing Association, outlined how the health care sector in her nation is hiding privatization behind the outsourcing of services to for-profit corporations. At the end of the day's spirited discussion, GNU leaders brain- stormed potential solutions to their common issues, whether it's a global day of action, a shared research hub, or other strategies. "It's just remarkable to be in a room full of militant, class-con- scious trade unionists from around the world," said NNU Executive Director Puneet Maharaj. "Challenging ourselves to concrete goals will enable us to bring in more members and to be a global organiza- tion to elevate the voice of nurses, the broader working class, and society at large." And with an inspiring meeting in the books, Global Nurses United leaders went on to attend the Global Nurses Solidarity Assembly, to get even better prepared to lead the fight for a healthier world. —Kari Jones For more information on the topics covered at GNSA, check out National Nurses United's latest CE course offerings at: nationalnursesunited.org/ce-classes

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