National Nurses United

Stone, who is studying to become a Catholic In 2008, MountainView nurses deterOrsburn Stone, RN, helped lead priest, had put his education on hold during mined to improve staffing and patient care a successful organizing campaign the campaign, but is now on track to become and win a greater voice in hospital deciat MountainView Hospital in Las ordained within a year. Like many of the clergy sions began discussing with the California Vegas, Nevada. Here, he listens to involved in the civil rights movement and other Nurses Association/National Nurses a presentation at National Nurses movements for social change, he sees his Organizing Committee about joining the United's Organizing Institute. organizing work as intimately connected with union. Stone was one of the first to sign up. his faith; building National Nurses United, he says, is part of his calling. A float nurse, he had developed relationships with nurses in many "My faith as a Catholic calls me to bind the other's wound and different units at the hospital. He quit his part-time job teaching care for my brethren, and that's what this organization does," he nursing at two local colleges and was soon spending his days off at says. "I'm supposed to help those that are helpless, and there are a MountainView, talking to RNs about the benefits of being part of a lot of helpless people in healthcare." professional organization like CNA/NNOC. Saying mass at the 300-member St. Thomas's Catholic Church in "I was doing it mainly for the benefit of the nurses coming behind Las Vegas—deacons like Stone are allowed to fill in for priests in a me, and the patients they will be serving," says Stone, who plans to pinch—keeps him in touch with the struggles of low-income people retire within a few years. in Nevada, where the recession has hit hard. A few weeks ago, one of "Stone is not the kind of person who says, 'I'm going to take the lead, the congregation members approached him asking for assistance. you guys need to stand behind me and do what I tell you,' " says Gomez. The man explained shyly that he had a job, but hadn't eaten in three "If anything, he has a way of empowering people to speak up for themdays. Could Stone do something to help? selves, by asking very poignant questions that inspire self-reflection." "I look out over the congregation and say, how many people are in the From the beginning, a small minority of anti-union nurses tried same situation but don't have the courage to come forward?" says Stone, to derail the campaign, MountainView RNs say, harassing and even who connected the man with a parish program that helps the needy. physically assaulting union supporters. Nurses can be part of the solution to these larger injustices, he says. Because he had been outspoken, Stone became known as a nurse "I honestly believe that as nurses united, we can change the course leader among both his coworkers and the hospital administration. On of this country and the world," Stone told a group of RNs at a recent one occasion while he was campaigning at the hospital during non-work organizing school sponsored by NNU. Shortly afterward, he was on a hours, the police arrived and asked him to leave. Stone explained that he plane to Texas to help organize another hospital owned by HCA, had a legal right to be there, politely complied with their request…then MountainView's parent corporation. Though he only spent four days returned another day. The event became legend at the hospital. in Texas, he speaks of "the brothers and sisters in El Paso," with the "Some people thought I was the heart of the whole operation," same affection and sense of solidarity with which he talks about his Stone says now, "but in reality there were a lot of people who made colleagues at MountainView, or the members of his church. this happen, both within CNA/NNOC and at MountainView." "Just like I did here, I'll do whatever it takes to make sure they When in January the MountainView nurses finally voted overwhelmingly to join CNA/NNOC, "it was one of the most joyous times in end up with proper representation," he says. my life," says Stone, laughing with glee at the memory. "It was extremely exhilarating. But I recognized that the true work had just begun." Felicia Mello is acting editor of National Nurse. APRIL 2010 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 21

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