Issue link: https://nnumagazine.uberflip.com/i/198762
TOC.July 2006 7/25/06 7:44 PM Page 2 Registered Nurse LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT well, do you want the good news or bad news first? The good news is, of course, that we've had another amazing month of victories and successes. On the organizing and bargaining front, our Chicago RNs settled a historic contract with the Cook County Bureau of Health Services, one of the largest public health systems in the country, that some are saying is the best contract they've ever seen. The nurses there have pushed down a long and hard road, first by rejecting their old union and seeking stronger representation with CNA/NNOC, and then negotiating this first contract at a time when all counties are cutting back their budgets. In the heart of California, in a city called Modesto, nurses at Doctors Medical Center voted by a landslide to join CNA/NNOC. On the political front, we learned in late June that we qualified our Clean Money campaign reform initiative for California's November ballot. It's called Prop 89! We are very excited about the prospect of getting this important measure passed and restoring some integrity to the political process in this state. What this initiative would do is cut back on the influence of money in state-level elections by giving candidates the option of rejecting private contributions in favor of receiving public financing, and also by restricting all other private donations in general. Our elected officials have catered long enough to the agendas of their big corporate donors. It's high time they turn their attention back to what the public needs, things like healthcare for everyone, good schools for all our kids, clean air and water for us to breathe and drink, and decent, living-wage jobs to support our families. We will be gearing up in late sum- REGISTERED NURSE,™ (ISSN 0008-1310) The Journal of Patient Advocacy, July 2006 Volume 102/5 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 for July and August, and January and February. 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. mer for the campaign to pass Prop 89, so stay tuned and watch our website for updates. Now on to the bad news. We're still watching and waiting for the National Labor Relations Board to issue their decision on several cases that could potentially reclassify registered nurses as supervisors. As you probably know, supervisors are not entitled to form and be represented by unions. What this means is that hundreds of thousands of us across the nation are in jeopardy of never being able to get, or of losing our union representation. This kind of decision would be a complete disaster for our ability to advocate for our patients, so we're fighting back by showing employers that we won't tolerate any interference with our union and patient advocacy activities. We'll be staging protests, and thousands of nurses have already signed our CNA/NNOC petition that says we'll do whatever it takes, even strike, to keep our rights. Regardless of what the Board rules, we nurses hold a lot of power and must use it—or lose it. Look for discussion of everything I've just mentioned in this issue. In addition, we've prepared our annual book review special, so this summer, as you're packing for a trip or just looking for something to read on the patio, grab this magazine. And if you're looking for some perspective on the whole immigration debate, check out the essay in this issue. Better relax while you can this summer, because we've got a lot of work ahead! Deborah Burger, RN CNA/NNOC president 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 graphic design Jonathan Wieder communications director Charles Idelson contributors Hedy Dumpel, RN, JD photography Jaclyn Higgs, Tad Keyes editorial intern Miranda Everitt