National Nurses United

A U G U S T 2 0 0 6 W W W . C A L N U R S E S . O R G R E G I S T E R E D N U R S E 19 activism. He has been involved with CNA for more than 20 years, and held a seat as a board member since 1993 – except for a break from 1997 to 1999. He took classes on bargaining and shop stewardship soon after joining the union. "Unions are a way working people can improve their lives and fight against injustice," he said. "I really believe in that, so it was natu- ral for me to be involved in CNA. But it's only as good as its members make it." CNA before 1992, however, was a very different organization, dominated by nurse managers and educators who paid little atten- tion to the concerns of bedside RNs and even less to the type of union activism they needed to improve working conditions. In 1986, Miller and other staff nurses broke with CNA adminis- tration by striking alongside Service Employees International Union Local 250 hospital workers. As an LVN only two years before, Miller had been a member of the SEIU and felt that labor solidarity was key to stemming a tide of takeaways that would soon sweep the RNs as well. "During the first few years, we saw staff nurses were second-class citizens in CNA," he said. "We were trying to mobilize people about what was happening and why they should be concerned. We had to gain control of our own organization because we saw the beginnings of healthcare restructuring, which meant taking RNs away from the direct care of patients." After most of CNA's collective bargaining staff and leadership was fired by the then-board of directors in late 1992, Miller was out every day doing walk throughs, posting flyers, and educating fellow nurses in the months leading up to the 1993 board election, in which a staff nurse slate won a narrow majority. The board voted to hire Rose Ann DeMoro as executive director and Miller said, "CNA was on its way to becoming a dynamic organization run by and for its members. "We've been very successful in the last 13 years organizing mem- bership and taking on the industry that has been trying to impose unsafe practices," Miller said, noting that CNA has more than tripled its membership since the leadership change. Patient advocacy for Miller means getting nurses back to the bed- side with staffing ratios in effect, and maintaining an alert workforce that gets its needed breaks. He said there is a long way to go to defend against management loopholes the gains already made. And nurses have to make best use of the high public trust they hold by advocating for issues such as single-payer health insurance. "We're not just fighting against what profiteers are trying to do, but we have a vision for what healthcare should be," he said. Miller said he sees momentum in the direction of single-payer, but passing legislation can't be the end of the fight. For him, every victory is the prelude to another battle. "We can't just achieve something and rest on our laurels because the motivation for private ownership, exploitation, and profiteering will always attempt to wreck any public system. Even if we get it, we'll always have a struggle." Miranda Everitt is an intern at Registered Nurse. Profile Name: Greg Miller Facility: Kaiser Permanente, Santa Clara Unit: Telemetry/Stroke Nursing for: 32 years On CNA board since: 1993 Sign: Sagittarius Pet nursing peeve: When staff nurses go into management and oppress former coworkers and patients in order to keep their job. Favorite work snack: Seeds, nuts, and dried fruit Latest work accomplishment: Being part of an ongoing struggle to improve staffing by achieving awareness that the problem can be solved with collective action Color of favorite scrubs: Doesn't have one, usually wears a uniform Favorite hobby: Hiking, botany, and reading. He loves the outdoors. Favorite music: Almost anything, but especially world music Latest book read: The New Pearl Harbor: Disturbing Questions About the Bush Administration and 9/11 by David Ray Griffin Secret talent unrelated to nursing: Something of a green thumb Fighting

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