National Nurses United

Arizona investors sued under NAFTA to overturn Canadian restric- tions on for-profit surgery centers. Under these types of trade agreements, it's also not inconceivable that a U.S.-based corporation could invoke the TPP to sue the Unit- ed States government over some law or standard. It's already hap- pened in Canada! In 2012, Lone Pine Resources, which is actually headquartered in Calgary but incorporated in the state of Delaware, sued the province of Quebec under NAFTA for a moratorium it imposed on natural gas fracking. It claimed the Quebec government was infringing on its profits and that either that law must be over- turned or the people of Quebec must pay compensation to the cor- poration. "So will the state of New York, which recently also banned fracking, be forced to compensate oil and gas companies because the state government stood up to protect the drinking water of New Yorkers?" asked Ross. It's an excellent question. Registered nurses from other participating TPP countries are likewise opposed to the deal. The Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions has been working to improve their Medicare system by pushing for a universal public prescription drug program, but the TPP appears to make that goal harder or perhaps even beyond reach. "Canada's nurses strongly oppose trade agreements that harm patients' ability to access necessary medication and increases the overall cost of health care," said Linda Silas, RN and CFNU president. In Australia, the New South Wales Nurses and Midwives Associ- ation views the TPP as a threat to their healthcare system and has been fighting it along with other unions and community organiza- tions. In addition to all the same objections NNU and CFNU have about the TPP's effects on the price of drugs and lowering of food safety standards, Australian nurses, from experience, see the corpo- rate tribunal system (ISDS) as a huge problem. "Australia has learned the hard way that ISDS allows foreign cor- porations to sue governments when they legislate in the interests of public health," said Judith Kiejda, RN and NSWNMA assistant gen- eral secretary. "Our plain packaging cigarette laws are having a fan- tastic impact on the smoking rate, but Philip Morris is attempting to sue us. Australia is a rich nation, we can afford to fight Philip Morris, but there is still the loss of time and money fighting the legal action that could have been spent on healthcare. We shouldn't have to defend the right of democratically elected governments to put people before profits. If governments can't legislate in the interests of health, then we are all placed at risk. With the TPP, democracy is being replaced by corporatocracy: profits before people. That's why we're demanding that they release the text and cease negotiations." M A R C H 2 0 1 5 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 And we will work with other allies in a movement that promotes caring, compas- sion, and community, as well as equality, participatory democracy, and social change. Something like what Reclaim Chicago and the Richmond, Calif. Progressive Alliance have built at the local municipal level. On the national level, for conversation purpos- es, let's call it the Heal America Party (Movement). What would a Heal America program look like? It would resemble much of the priorities we've defined and campaigned on for several years under the frame of a Main Street Contract for the American People. Medicare for all built on a single stan- dard of quality care, including safe nurse-to- patient ratios, free higher education with forgiveness of student debt, living-wage jobs with public works to rebuild our eroding infrastructure, free public transportation, a safe and healthy environment including substantive action on the climate crisis. It would also include safe housing, eradi- cation of hunger, homelessness and poverty, retirement security with no cuts to Medicare and Social Security, immigration reform, guaranteed voting rights, and expansion of civil rights for all. And, of course, we've long advocated a com- prehensive funding mechanism, the Robin Hood Tax on Wall Street speculation that could raise hundreds of billions of dollars every year from those who have harmed our economy. The model to achieve those goals is vot- ing-plus. Action is something NNU and nurses have gained renown and wide respect for, with a credibility proven by top billing in the annual public trust polls, and the unshakeable bond we've forged in fighting for peoples' interests, not corporate profits. That's the political model we call participa- tory democracy. We will never be able to outspend the Koch Brothers and all their Wall Street cronies, but we can outwork them and bring nurses' power to reality. We can, and must make it happen. There's no time to lose. RoseAnn DeMoro is executive director of National Nurses United. (Continued from page 11) USING OUR POWER "As a registered nurse who cares for patients in my city and as a food consumer, it is deeply concerning that our food safety laws could be seriously undermined by these international trade agreements."

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