National Nurses United

LETTER FROM THE COUNCIL OF PRESIDENTS well it's a good thing there are now four of us because this past couple of months has been nonstop action. As is explained in this issue, we've switched over since our House of Delegates convention in September to our new governance system, under which a group of four copresidents leads this organization. So we've got this new structure in place, and none too soon, because we were all needed out on the picket lines to support nearly 5,000 RNs working for Sutter Health and FremontRideout Health Group who went out on strike Oct. 10 and 11. It was the largest strike in California in a decade, covering 15 facilities in Northern California. As you can read in this issue's strike coverage, the Sutter RNs are really fighting tooth and nail for higher patient care standards and enough staffing that lets them take the meals and breaks they need to perform at their best in taking care of patients. The Fremont-Rideout RNs have similar concerns, and are trying to get a first contract with an intractable employer. Both Sutter and FremontRideout have not budged on these critical issues for nurses, so the RNs fell back on their last resort: a strike. The four of us were all out on various picket lines across the state and were really inspired by the camaraderie and bravery of these nurses. Hopefully, the employers will start to bargain seriously after these actions. If they don't, well, look out! The threat of a strike certainly worked for our Maine contingent, as RNs with Eastern Maine Medical Center celebrated the ratification of a new contract that brings key California patient care standards, such as professional practice committees and protections against reclassification as managers, to that state. REGISTERED NURSE,™ (ISSN 1932-8966) The Journal of Patient Advocacy, October 2007 Volume 103/8 is published by the California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee, 2000 Franklin Street, Oakland, CA 94612-2908. It provides news of organizational activities and reports on developments of concern to all registered nurses across the nation. It also carries general coverage and commentary on matters of nursing practice, community and public health, and healthcare policy. It is published monthly except for combined issues in January and February, and July and August. Periodicals postage paid at Oakland, California. POSTMASTER: send address changes to Registered Nurse, 2000 ™ Franklin Street, Oakland, CA 94612-2908. To send a media release or announcement, fax (510) 6630629. Registered Nurse™ is carried on the CNA/NNOC website at www.calnurses.org. It's a fantastic first step. Earlier in the fall, our Catholic Healthcare West nurses also scored a great new agreement as well. Our successes at the bargaining table are no accident, and we all had the chance to reflect on and discuss CNA/NNOC's direction and strategy at the 2007 House of Delegates convention held in September in Sacramento, Calif. Our numbers and our strength are intrinsically tied to and interdependent with our political involvement and the social movement for universal, single-payer healthcare that we are spearheading. Our Director of Collective Bargaining, Mike Griffing, gives a good explanation of that relationship in a speech he gave to delegates which we've reprinted here. Finally, we've pulled together a couple of feature stories we hope will open your eyes. The first is about how lesbians may falsely perceive themselves as not at risk for certain diseases and avoid seeking healthcare because of the gayunfriendly environment of many medical offices. The second feature is a profile of Julie and Tracy Pierce, the couple spotlighted in the Michael Moore film SiCKO. Tracy died of kidney cancer after repeatedly being denied treatments by their insurer. Julie is now crusading across the country to stop this from happening to other patients. That's it for now. We're sure we'll have lots more to report in the next issue. Legislative efforts at healthcare reform in California have gone into special session and the end game is near. Stay tuned by going to our website and signing up for our e-mail alerts. Deborah Burger, RN | Geri Jenkins, RN Malinda Markowitz, RN | Zenei Triunfo-Cortez, RN CNA/NNOC Council of Presidents For permission to reprint articles, write to Editorial Office. To subscribe, send $40 ($45 foreign) to Subscription Department. California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee also produces California Nurse, which it will ™ continue to publish periodically. PLEASE CONTACT US WITH YOUR STORY IDEAS They can be about practice or management trends you've observed, or simply something new you've encountered in the profession. They can be about one nurse, unit, or hospital, or about the wider landscape of healthcare policy from an RN's perspective. They can humorous, or a matter of life and death. If you're a writer and would like to contribute an article, please let us know. Our contact information is in the masthead. executive editor Rose Ann DeMoro editor Lucia Hwang associate editor Erika Larson graphic design Jonathan Wieder communications director Charles Idelson contributors Hedy Dumpel, RN, JD photography Jaclyn Higgs, Tad Keyes

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