National Nurses United

National Nurse magazine October 2015

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Huntington by unionizing the nurses. "I grew up in a conservative family and I never gave much thought to unions," said Almada. "But my parents always told me to stand up for what I believed in and I began to realize that, as nurses, we could advocate more effectively if we worked together. I started organizing with my coworkers to get a union." Rather than invest in staffing and other patient care improvements, Huntington hired expensive consultants to advise them, as they launched a costly anti-union campaign. Management harassment of nurses became increasingly pervasive in the period leading up to the union elec- tion held in mid-April 2015. CNA/NNU ultimately called on federal offi- cials to set aside the election results, citing more than 40 violations of workplace protections that made a "free and fair election impossible," and do expect to prevail in securing another chance to win a union election. Almada was one of the most vocal and visible leaders of the organ- izing campaign. She would make rounds through the hospital to talk to nurses about the union and spoke at nearly every public event. During the entire month of April, prior to the election, she was one of three nurses depicted in a pro-union advertisement on the side of public buses running throughout the San Gabriel Valley. In July, she spoke at a community panel along with elected leaders, clergy, and community supporters and her photo was featured in numerous local newspaper articles. Less than two weeks later, on Aug. 20, Huntington manage- ment retaliated by firing Almada for questionable reasons. At a rally outside the hospital shortly after her firing, coworkers spoke out in support of Almada. RN Veena Fenn, praised Almada for going "above and beyond, for patients, families and for fellow workers," and, noting Almada's special training in heart surgery and trauma, called her a "great resource for newer nurses." Meanwhile, conditions at the hospital continued to decline. Cur- rently, federal officials are investigating a suspected outbreak of an antibiotic-resistant "superbug" and examining patient care condi- tions throughout the hospital. The White House invitation came shortly after Almada was fired and she was determined to use the opportunity to share the story of the Huntington nurses with other workers, elected officials, and policymak- ers. "I think Huntington thought by firing me they could silence me but they are sadly mistaken," said Almada. On the morning of Almada's departure, nurses, supporters, and Almada's extended family (including the family dog Jade who volunteers as a therapy dog at Huntington) gathered for a send-off on the steps of Pasadena's City Hall. City Councilmember Victor Gordo honored Almada with an "RN Courage Award." "Allysha is an inspiration to all of us who care deeply about Pasadena and we're proud that she's representing our community at the White House Summit on Worker Voice," said Gordo. On Oct. 6, Almada hit the ground running in D.C. On the day before the White House summit, she spoke about her organizing experiences at a press briefing hosted by AFL- CIO President Richard Trumka. She met with U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez, and invited him to Pasadena to learn firsthand from the Huntington nurses how manage- ment continues to interfere with their organizing campaign. Almada also participated in two events on Capitol Hill supporting bills that strengthen protections for workers: a press briefing for the Workplace Action for a Growing Economy (WAGE) Act, introduced in September by Sen. Patty Murray and Rep. Robert C. "Bobby" Scott, and a press conference for the Workplace Democracy Act, introduced by Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Mark Pocan. If these bills were currently the law of the land, Almada likely would not have been fired and she and her RN colleagues would already have unionized and be protected under a contract. Determined to maximize her trip to Washington, D.C., Almada became a one-nurse lobbying machine. She not only met with Con- gressional Representatives Judy Chu and Adam Schiff, she also visit- ed staff members of Rep. Xavier Becerra and Senators Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer. Almada requested that they contact Huntington Memorial's board of directors and management to express their support for the nurses. Almada's story and trip to Washington, D.C. ultimately generated an enormous amount of local, state, national, and even international press coverage. As soon as Almada returned from Washington, she began final preparations for her wedding. "I look forward to seeing many of my former Huntington coworkers at my wedding," said Almada. "I miss them and my patients every day." She also looks forward to her new job in the neuro ICU unit at a CNA-represented Los Angeles-area hospital, yet adds, "The best wedding present I can imagine would be to get my job back at Huntington Memorial." In the meantime, Almada will continue to raise her voice in sup- port of Huntington nurses' right to join a union and collectively bar- gain for a contract. "It's simple really," said Almada. "When the hospital expects RNs to ignore patient care problems in the work- place, to remain silent in the face of deteriorating conditions–they are asking RNS to stop being RNs and we refuse to do that." Martha Wallner is a communications specialist with National Nurses United. "I think Huntington thought by firing me they could silence me but they are sadly mistaken." even as the state has closed DMV offices in eight of the 10 coun- ties with the highest concentration of black voters. Martese Chism knows the work continues. "Until now, it looks like the things that the civil rights people fought for, that American dream is in trouble," Martese has said. "And I feel that it's my time, the nurses' time, to fight to save this dream." RoseAnn DeMoro is executive director of National Nurses United. (Continued from page 11) UNFINISHED WORK O C T O B E R 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

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