Issue link: https://nnumagazine.uberflip.com/i/447704
D o not be deceived by Prop. 75's pitch of "pay- check protection." In fact, I'd make the argu- ment that the initiative hurts our paychecks. Prop. 75 claims to protect our wages by pro- hibiting public employee unions from spending dues for political purposes unless every single member annually consents in writing. Its supporters talk as if political activity could be neatly sep- arated from the struggle by unions to improve working condi- tions in this country. I'd say they go hand in hand. And union members can already opt out of the portion of their dues that goes toward work not related to negotiating their contracts. Prop. 75's real purpose is to silence us RNs from speaking out for our patients because it wants to create such a cumbersome bureaucratic nightmare for unions that we can't participate in the political process. Its backers know very well that less organized and less polit- ically-represented RNs in the rest of the country are paid far less than we are in California. Nurses in Northern California are paid the highest in the nation because they are highly unionized and politically represented. When our voice as workers is weakened politically, so too will our rights as workers be weakened, and ultimately, our paychecks! As they always say, follow the money. Just take a look at some of the groups that have bankrolled Prop. 75, according to the Cal- ifornia Secretary of State's website: corporations and wealthy in- dividuals hiding behind a small business political action com- mittee have given over $550,000, and the California Republican party has donated $200,000. Do you think they're looking out for our paychecks or more interested in limiting our criticism of their business practices? It's revealing that these same groups are not pushing for corporations to get approvals from their stock- holders before spending company money for political purposes. At UC, we have been very vocal about protecting patients with safe staffing ratios, before and during contract negotiations, and our efforts have been made possible with the support and fund- ing of our union, the California Nurses Association. Prop. 75 would put us at such an unfair disadvantage in fighting for our patients and the public. At a time when profits are put above safety, and a patient is considered as a "customer" who needs "products," not as an in- dividual who seriously needs life-sustaining healthcare, it is even more pressing for not only nurses, but patients and the public to get all the help they can through the social and political work of unions like CNA. Vote no on Prop. 75. Tam Nguyen, RN works at UC Ir vine Medical Center, where he is chief nurse representative, and also ser ves on the University of California RN bargaining team. Bait and Switch A UC RN explains why Prop. 75 would actually weaken, not protect, paychecks. BY TAM NGUYEN, RN C A L I F O R N I A N U R S E 0 C T O B E R 2 0 0 5 9