Economic crisis and nurses

[scecile]

The National Nurses United -- the largest union and professional organization of RNs in the U.S. -- launched a national campaign this summer called Main Street Contract for the American People.

The economic crisis is impacting nurses along with other citizens.

Here's what it says on the website:

"From Wisconsin to Michigan to Maine, RNs are joining the fight to resist state laws and budget proposals to silence our collective voices, reduce our retirement security, our health coverage, and our living standards, and the federal attacks on Social Security and Medicare. Similar threats come from healthcare employers who seek to take advantage of the economic crisis to roll back achievements in RN staffing, pay, and benefits that nurses have fought so hard to win. The fight for our communities is our fight. Nurses know that when healthcare, pensions, safety net programs, or education is cut for anyone, everyone is harmed. Nurses bring patients into the world, now we must fight to protect them-and assure a better quality of life and a secure future for our communities, our patients, our families, and ourselves."

The organization will be backing a new bill that is about to be introduced. It's calling for a tax on Wall Street transcations, which can raise billions.

NNU is collecting stories on how the economic crisis is impacting nurses. Go here to learn more about it: www.mainstreetcontract.org

[herring_RN, ASN, BSN]

National Nurses United has embarked on a campaign to reverse national priorities and policies that have placed the interests of Wall Street over the crisis facing American families today. -