National Nurses United

4 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 J U LY | A U G U S T | S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 6 News BRieFs NATIONAL R epresenting 60 national progressive organizations, a broad array of labor, environmental, healthcare, consumer, and other activists, as well as National Nurses United RNs and Sen. Bernie Sanders, converged in Washington, D.C. Nov. 17 to celebrate the apparent defeat of the Trans-Pacific Partner- ship (TPP) and to champion the continued path forward for a people's agenda of social and economic justice and equality for all. "I don't care if you're a Clinton supporter, a Trump supporter, or a Bernie supporter— we are a movement. It's not about who's in the White House, it's about who's in the streets," National Nurses United (NNU) Executive Director RoseAnn DeMoro told a crowd of thousands of activists. "Brothers and sisters, there is a lot of anguish across the land," said Sanders, the featured speaker. "But if you look at history, you learn that when ordinary people stand up by the millions, when we don't let dema- gogues divide us up by race or sex, or men or women, born here or born abroad—when we stand together and focus on economic, social, racial, and environmental justice…nobody, nobody is going to stop us." NNU members also visited members of Congress that morning, as well as in several other cities, to oppose the Ryan proposal to privatize Medicare, and press instead for expanding and improving Medicare to cover all Americans, the real solution to problems that have emerged under the Affordable Care Act. The TPP's demise was announced by President Obama the week before, after the November election. Speakers made it clear, however, that its shelving was not the result of the incoming Trump administration, but rather, according to NNU Co-President Jean Ross "as a result of years of activism from people around the country." "It's important to be clear: TPP was stopped because of you," Tefere Gebre, exec- utive vice president of the AFL-CIO, affirmed to the cheering crowd. "Donald Trump had nothing to do with it. We all, working together, made TPP toxic for politi- cians. I searched all over, and I couldn't find a single call Trump made to members of Congress to [stop the Fast Track approval of TPP]. You made millions of calls to stop TPP." "Donald Trump did not kill the TPP, it was D.O.A. before he had his election day," said Lori Wallach, direc- tor of Public Citizen's Global Trade Watch. "You all did that by working across this country month after month for six years. It was people power across borders—our brothers and sisters in other countries, fighting against corporate power—that brought down the TPP. They're the ones who delayed it with their campaigns so we could organize. We did this together, united across borders." Activists noted that even with the defeat of the TPP, pressure must continue against other corporate trade deals that are harmful to workers, as well as endangering environ- mental, health, and safety protections. Congress continues to have fast track authority to approve such treaties without amendments for up to four more years. Looking ahead, post-election, speakers added that an atmosphere of racism, sexism, and bigotry heightened during the Trump campaign and subsequent presidential win—has no place in a movement to advance a healthier society, by and for all Americans. "Racism, sexism, and hate cannot be tolerated on our watch," said former Ohio state senator Nina Turner, noting that America has struggled with these issues throughout its history. "I see a sign out there that says, 'Love Trumps Hate,' and we have to make sure we do that." After all, the strength of a people's move- ment, said speakers, is its ability to unify, not to divide. "We will not compromise on issues of racism, sexism, xenophobia, and Islama- phobia…So many people have died in strug- gle [for justice]—our Native American brothers and sisters, our black and Latino brothers and sisters. One hundred years ago today, women didn't even have right to vote," said Sanders. "We should be proud of all the progress we have made. Let's go forward together." —Kari Jones People's Rally Celebrates Defeat of TPP, Charts Path Forward

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