Issue link: https://nnumagazine.uberflip.com/i/971001
4 Introduction Join CNA/NNU's national RN movement — a strong voice for our profession and our patients On behalf of the 32 elected RN members of our Board of Directors, welcome to the California Nurses Association/National Nurses United (CNA/NNU). CNA/National Nurses Organizing Committee (NNOC) has more than 90,000 RN members in hospitals throughout Califor- nia, Florida, Illinois, Maine, Missouri, Nevada, Ohio, Texas, and West Virginia, and CNA is proud to be an affiliate of NNU, the nation's largest and fastest-growing union of direct-care RNs, founded in 2009, representing 185,000 members in all 50 states. CNA/NNU is a national union and professional organization for RNs who are pursuing a more powerful agenda of patient advocacy, which promotes the interests of patients, direct-care nurses, and RN professional practice. We exist to give a voice to the working, bed- side nurse and to give a vision for our nation's healthcare system. From coast to coast, we have won the best contracts in the nation for RNs. Thirty years ago, RNs were among the lowest-paid profession- als, had no retirement, and worked every weekend. Today, through the collective action of our members, nurses at CNA/ NNU facilities have safer staffing conditions, a more secure retire- ment, and salaries commensurate with experience. Our agreements are also noted for enhancing the collective voice of RNs in patient care decisions. We believe that a strong, professional RN union empowers us to take our patient advocacy from the bedside to the statehouse and beyond. We have repeatedly stepped outside the walls of our facilities, from our fight to win and defend California's safe staffing ratios, to forming the Registered Nurse Response Network (RNRN), a national network of over 20,000 volunteer direct-care RNs, ready to be deployed to disaster-stricken areas — such as the Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina and the Philippines after Typhoon Haiyan — where and when they are needed. Join Us! For more information, visit our website at www.calnurses.org.