National Nurses United

RAD:May 5/29/09 12:23 PM Page 11 Rose Ann DeMoro Executive Director, CNA/NNOC Making History In May, the national nurses movement burst onto the national scene and we're not looking back washington and America's RNs have never seen anything quite like this. Beginning with an in novative protest inside a Senate committee room, through a wildly successful conference, to a CNA/NNOC-style march led by a New Orleans jazz band, to a rally in the shadow of the Capitol, to more than 100 legislative visits by nurses. The National RN Days of Action, May 12 and 13 in Washington, D.C., were a culmination and a new beginning for the formation a genuine national nurses movement that would unify the voice and power of direct-care RNs behind a common vision of patient advocacy, RN collective action, and guaranteed healthcare reform. And RNs representing RNs in an RN union. It was the moment that the CNA Board of Directors could only imagine five years ago when they voted to take the bold step of forming a national arm, the National Nurses Organizing Committee, in response to the urging and yearning of nurses around the country to share in the successes and vision that made CNA an international model for RNs. Since that day, CNA/NNOC has grown to 86,000 members in all 50 states, and gained even greater renown among nurses from coast to coast for our achievements in elevating, promoting, and protecting RN and patient standards and fighting for single-payer healthcare. Add to that our two dramatic agreements this year – the building blocks for a new "RN super union" with the United American Nurses and Massachusetts Nurses Association, and a cooperation agreement with the Service Employees International Union which recognizes CNA/NNOC as the leading voice for RNs in the country. Washington was a high-profile debut for these developments, augmented by the introduction of the most comprehensive nursing quality of care bill ever seen in Congress and a very public reminder for the Senate Finance Committee of what they can expect when they try to silence the voices of nurses. M AY 2 0 0 9 It came together most vividly in the open- movement. The challenges are enormous, ing night reception in Washington's Union symbolized by the huge obstacles we face in Station, on a podium that featured leaders of our fight to fix our broken healthcare system, CNA/NNOC, UAN, MNA, SEIU Nurse and the disgraceful effort of some policy makAlliance, and the New York State Nurses ers, such as Sen. Max Baucus, chair of the SenAssociation/National Federation of Nurses, ate Finance Committee, to silence the voices organizations that together represent per- of nurses and other single-payer advocates. The power and influence of the trillion haps 90 percent or more of all unionized dollar healthcare industry is on full display nurses in the United States. We stood together to promote common in the present national debate. It's played out goals: a national RN movement, national RN in the seemingly daily demands and concesratios (the centerpiece of our nursing reform sions key legislators accord the insurance bill), RN representation by an RN union, and giants, and in who is seated at the table in the committee rooms pa tient ad vocacy in and who is left out. its fullest form, from Baucus' commitsteps to improve patee decided to roll tient protections at "Being a patient out the red carpet for the bedside to the advocate means not the CEOs of the in right to form a union remaining silent." surance and drug to genuine healthcompanies, the corcare reform. porate lobbyists, and As speaker after speaker reminded us, the way to secure RN the rightwing think tanks while nurses, docratios, rights, and representation is through tors, and community supporters of singlethe type of RN unity expressed on that podi- payer are shut out and arrested when they press to be heard. um and throughout the historic two days. Why endure arrest? Because RNs know, CNA/NNOC members deserve particular recognition for this moment and this oppor- what so many others do as well, that the mix tunity, their role perhaps best personified by of insurance mandates, tax on employer benthe author of the national RN bill, California efits, and other limited reforms Baucus and many of his colleagues favor will only perpetSen. Barbara Boxer. As she stood before the conference uate, not solve our national crisis. And announcing the introduction of her landmark because being a patient advocate means not bill, Boxer recalled the power of California remaining silent. Or as CNA/NNOC board member DeAnn RNs and CNA/NNOC members in particular. "I just want you to know something you McEwen, RN phrased it while being arrested: may not know," Boxer said. "I'm convinced "Registered nurses have a legal duty to advothat the first time I ran for the Senate in 1992, cate to change circumstances that are against nurses got me elected...And I had such sup- the interests and wishes of our patients." It's a fight that will take all our power and port from the California nurses, and just between us, when you stood up to our Gover- all our unity to prevail. But as we are proving nor [Schwarzenegger], when he tried to give every day, America's nurses have seen the you a hard time [in trying to roll back the Cal- future in unity and a stronger national moveifornia ratios], I was so proud of you and I ment that came together in Washington in was so proud to be a woman and I was so May, and they know they can win. ■ proud of your strength." It will, of course, take all of that strength Rose Ann DeMoro is executive director of and more to reach the next stage of our CNA/NNOC. W W W. C A L N U R S E S . O R G REGISTERED NURSE 11

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