National Nurses United

SLOWGOGO | ISTOCKPHOTO.COM NewsBriefs.2:Sept 9/30/08 1:38 PM Page 7 have health insurance. She praised CNA/ NNOC and nurses for setting a standard in the fight for guaranteed healthcare. "You didn't go into healthcare to maximize profits, you did it to maximize healthcare." Andrea Miller, candidate in Virginia's 4th District, noted that "when you are sick you go to the doctor for healthcare, not for health insurance. If we're going to spend the money for healthcare, we ought to at least get it." Burger and Claudia Fegan, MD and past president of Physicians for a National Health Program, also counseled against halfway steps that will not solve the crisis. "BandAids are nice but they don't solve the problem. It's time for us to demand what we need, what we deserve," said Fegan. "Not much longer will we let this go on because we are heading for a fight for healthcare that is everybody in, nobody out." The event fell on the anniversary of the 19th Amendment giving women the right to vote, and Burger cautioned against incremental reform by drawing an analogy between the right to healthcare, women's suffrage, and the civil rights movement. In those struggles, activists did not settle for winning rights for certain subgroups, but for comprehensive reform. "We need leaders and fighters, like so many of you in this room, who will not advise us to lower our expectations, but challenge us and everyone around us, to rise up, and bring everyone else along with us," Burger said. But the opportunity, most emphasized, would be far harder under a McCain administration and McCain healthcare policies that would accelerate the healthcare crisis. —staff report SEPTEMBER 2008 Making America Work for Workers t the denver single-payer event, CNA/NNOC also presented Working America, a community affiliate of the AFL-CIO, with a donation to support its program of tackling the real economic and workplace challenges of workers who do not currently enjoy the protections and benefits of a union. Founded in 2003, Working America recognizes that nonunionized workers can still build alliances and pressure lawmakers. Now with about 10 million members, Working America advocates for good jobs, healthcare, education, retirement security, and more. It uses research, communication, education, canvassing, lobbying, and community organizing to influence public policy in favor of working people. "It's an avenue for the 56 percent of people who would join a union tomorrow, if they could, to be a part of the labor movement," said Deborah Burger, RN and member of the CNA/NNOC Council of Presidents. "Working America's program recognizes the broader labor movement and offers hope for a better tomorrow." —staff report A W W W. C A L N U R S E S . O R G REGISTERED NURSE 7

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