National Nurses United

J A N U A R Y | F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 8 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 11 WRAP-UP REPORT California university of california registered nurses held informational pickets Jan. 25 at UC medical centers from Sacramento to San Diego to press the case for improving safe staffing and workplace safety measures, and opposition to severe employer cuts. Some 14,000 RNs, represented by California Nurs- es Association/NNU, working at five major UC medical centers, 10 student health centers, and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have been in contract talks with UC for eight months. Hospital officials have taken a hard line, refusing to address RN patient care and safety concerns and demanding multiple takeaways in RN stan- dards on healthcare, pensions, scheduling, and much more. "UC RNs are joining together to show UC that we are united in our bargaining demands around safe staffing, patient protections and retirement security," said UC Irvine RN Maureen Berry. "As a public university, UC must respect and protect the patients and the communities we serve." Several RN proposals would provide important upgrades in quality of care, including RN staffing based on patient illness, not budgetary goals; protection from unsafe assignment of nurses to clinical areas where the RN does not have specialty expertise; and dedicated RNs to assure RNs can take needed meal and rest breaks. They also seek strengthened language on work- place safety. "We will not let UC roll back years of hard-fought contract improvements with their dozens of takeaways that erode the quality of care our patients expect and deserve," said UC Davis RN Shirley Toy. Florida calling for a statewide ban on such activities, NNOC/NNU nurses cohosted a well-attended "Ban Fracking and Off-Shore Drilling" rally in December 2017 with several organizations, including Food and Water Watch, Oceana Florida, Organize Florida, and Floridians Against Fracking. Michelle Nungester, an NNOC-Florida RN, warned of the health risks related to fracking. "The compounds [heavy metals] that are released with fracking have a negative impact on health including, liver damage, heart disease, lung disease, and birth defects," she said. "This is not a Republican or Democrat issue, but a health issue." Zulema Ramos from Organize Florida addressed the impact fracking would have on low-income neighborhoods, which are more likely to be the first to receive fracking wells or have fracking byproducts dumped in their communities. Brian Lee, the state lobbyist for the coalition Floridians Against Fracking, called on the audience to persevere in pushing state lawmakers to pass a fracking ban bill. Maryland jean ross, a copresident of National Nurses United, testified in March in the Maryland House of Delegates Health and Government Operations Committee in support of the Healthy Maryland Act (H.B. 1002 in the House and S.B. 1516 in the Senate), a bill that would institute a Medicare-for-all, single-payer healthcare system in the state. "At a time of turmoil in health policy, and increasing healthcare inse- curity, Maryland can once again lead by guaranteeing healthcare for all. In the most personal area of our lives, we can provide peace of mind. It's time for Healthy Mary- land," said Ross. Maryland nurses agreed. "As a patient advocate, I consider it my duty to fight for a system that guarantees healthcare for every- one," said Judy Alba, a registered nurse from Prince George's County, Md., and an NNU member. "Every day at hospitals and clinics around the state, bedside nurses care for patients who have delayed care because of lack of insurance or because patients don't have insurance or cannot utilize the insur- ance they have because of high deductibles and co-pays. That's wrong, and it costs the patients and society more in the long run." —Staff report From top left: Universi- ty of California Los Angeles Medical Cen- ter RNs protested in a statewide UC action for a fair contract; Florida RNs joined anti-frack- ing activists in calling for a state ban. Above: NNU member Joe Cassidy, a Washington Hospital Center RN, joined in solidarity with United Medical Center nurses represented by the District of Columbia Nurses Association in picketing at city hall to demand that Mayor Muriel Bowser move forward in negotiating a fair contract.

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