National Nurses United

Of course, it would not have been an NNU event without a lively demonstra- tion. The 1,000 nurses attending the con- vention took to the streets of San Francisco not once, but twice on Sept. 15, first to rally for their Wall Street tax on the city's Main Street, near the Federal Reserve Bank, and then on to City Hall to protest Sutter Health, a giant Northern California hospital chain that is cutting patient services and demanding severe concessions from its nurses during contract nego- tiations—all while giving its executives and CEO exorbitant raises and compensation of upwards of $1 million. "Pay it back!" chanted the nurses at the first rally. "Sutter, Sutter, you can't hide. We can see your greedy side," they yelled at the second. Nurses agreed that the unity and strength displayed by their pro- fession at the convention was amazing, and that they were inspired and energized by their peers to use their unparalleled influence to advocate for working people any way they can. "Hospitals have been complaining that we, that's you nurses, have a national agenda," said Karen Higgins, a Massachusetts RN and member of the NNU Council of Presidents. "For once, they're right. We do have a national agenda: to protect our patients from the bean counters and hospital CEOs." S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 1 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 A T I O N A L N U R S E 15 What was the most important thing you learned at the convention? I learned a lot. So much! I learned we can no longer take the abuse. We now have one voice. We are united. You hurt one nurse, you hurt all of us. This is my first convention. I'm so impressed. I wish every one of us could come down to witness this. It's awesome. —Gladys Emekekwue, RN from Florida Medical Center in Florida Nurses can really make a big differ- ence at this critical time. Our country is in trouble. People are suffering everywhere. Nurses can shine the light on the problems in our families and our communities. —Patrice McArthy, RN from Cypress Fairbanks Medical Center in Texas I think really seeing the support that the union has at the state level here in California was very interesting to me. I guess I've just lived in red states my whole life: Alabama, Arizona, and Vir- ginia. Support really does exist out there. —Joshua Wansley, RN from Washington Hospital Center in Washington, D.C. It's been such an eye opener. We have such a tight bond. I've learned that the unity of the nurses is powerful. Seeing all the nurses who truly stick together is amazing. That's how they get things done, and that's what we're striving for. Seeing that makes me have hope. We are so much more powerful together than we are alone. —Sandra Gallegos, RN from St. Mary Corwin Hospital in Colorado There's strength in numbers and unity and togetherness, and knowing your worth and fighting for what you believe in, which is our patients, our practice, and healthcare in general. —Cherri Krzyzowski, RN from Cook County Health and Hospitals System in Illinois Nurses picketed and rallied outside San Francisco City Hall in support of colleagues locked in a contract fight with the Sutter Health hospital chain. Convention_REV 2 10/11/11 10:09 PM Page 15

• Cover