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10 N A T I O N A L N U R S E 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 O C T O B E R 2 0 1 5 NEWS BRIEFS WRAP-UP REPORT California in late october, Contra Costa County nurses voted overwhelmingly, by 95 percent, to ratify a new contract. "Our nurses have shown, with this vote, that what we fought for at the bargaining table was finally achieved," said Fari- na Khan, an emergency department RN. "We are excited to move forward with an agreement that will uphold top-quality patient care and retain the most experienced nurses for our community." The new agreement, which came after 15 months of bargaining and a recent two- day strike, features a 16 percent wage increase over the two years of the contract that begins to close the pay gap with nearby, private-sector hospitals and is expected to greatly help with retention and recruitment of experienced nurs- es. The agreement also holds the line on health- care and retirement benefits, and includes a ban on mandatory overtime. Florida and Texas to draw attention to issues that help ensure safe patient care, registered nurses at two Tenet hospitals, Florida Medical Center in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. and Providence Medical Center in El Paso, Texas, held protests over shared problems of under- staffing on Oct. 21. "It's our duty, as nurses, to stand up for our patients, and that's why we'll be talking to the community," said Christel Willis, a Florida Medical Center RN. "The issues we are asking the hospital to address—such as maintaining consistent, optimum staffing levels—can help uphold the best possible care for our community." "Our nurses are standing together to let the community know about how consistent staffing levels at the hospital and proper stocking of supplies are necessary to uphold top-quality care for patients," said Sandy Wakefield, RN, a Providence RN. "Right now, these issues need to be addressed, and as patient advocates, we know it's part of our job to speak up." Florida Medical Center nurses are chal- lenging understaffing primarily in the emer- gency department and psych unit. Providence nurses are focusing on under- staffing in the operating room, labor and delivery, and neonatal intensive care units. Nurses say both facilities are often not meet- ing their own stated optimal staffing levels. Iowa in late september, dozens of nurses in the Midwest gathered for the first-ever Iowa Nurses Summit to network, strategize, and learn about the healthcare and political land- scape influencing their nursing practice. Nurses in attendance mainly hailed from the VA hospital in Des Moines and Minnesota Nurses Association members from Central Iowa Healthcare in Marshalltown. Nurses learned about NNU's social unionism campaigns, from Medicare for all to the Robin Hood Tax to environmental health justice; about NNU's Ebola fight and our recent Registered Nurse Response Network missions; about our efforts to pass ratios legislation; and about NNU's political program and current work to elect Bernie Sanders for president. The nurses brain- stormed many ideas for growing NNU's social unionism campaigns, including making alliances with state veterans groups and connecting with voters about Sanders, and next planned to meet Nov. 18 as part of ongoing quarterly Iowa State Council meet- ings. Ohio on oct. 18, Affinity Medical Center RNs in Massillon, Ohio participated in a local labor fest and led a solidarity march to their hospi- tal. As part of the day's activities, nurses heard from labor historians and learned about women's role in labor in Ohio as well as some general discussion and historical context about socialism and progressivism. Many were surprised to learn that one of the largest work- er uprisings in U.S. history started in Massil- lon, where Coxey's Army, a group of unemployed workers, began their march to Washington, D.C. in 1932 during the Great Depression. Nurses also learned about Eugene Debs and his ties to the area, including being arrested on the stairs of their local courthouse. Afterward, nurses marched alongside steel- workers, firemen, and local community members to the hospital. —Staff report From top: Florida Medical Center RNs protest understaffing; Affinity Medical Center RNs in Ohio marched on their hospital as part of a festival celebrating organized labor.